Kalilina Black and the Year of the Stone
by Maraudin'likeaboss
Summary: Kalilina Black; daughter of mass murderer Sirius Black. The sarcastic, bitchy little devil goes to Hogwarts. How will she react to the fame? How will she and her best friend, Harry Potter, survive the year?
1. The Incident

Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find their nephew and Kalilina on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too. Nor a girl. Yet Harry Potter and Kalilina Black were still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day.

"Up! Get up! Now!"

Harry woke up with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.

"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back, careful not to roll on Kalilina, and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. He looked over at Kalilina, who was still sound asleep. He knew he had to wake her up, so he sat up and leaned on his elbow for support. He flicked her nose repeatedly.

"Leave me alone," grumbled Kalilina.

"No can do, Kali. You have to wake up," said Harry, continuing to flick her nose. Kalilina opened her dark blue eyes and glared at Harry.

"Fine!" she grumbled, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes and rubbed her jet-black hair and made it even more messier.

"Well good morning to you too, Miss Grumpy," chuckled Harry. Kalilina rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Harry.

"So, how did you sleep?" asked Kalilina. "Dream about me again?"

"Oh, Kali. You've asked me that since we were 5 and the answer hasn't changed; No," smirked Harry. "But I did have a weird dream."

Kalilina rolled her eyes at the first statement, but her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and her nose scrunched up.

"Weird...I had a weird dream too," said Kalilina. "It had a flying motorcycle in it..."

"Yeah, there was a flying motorcycle in my dream, too!" exclaimed Harry. "Weird..."

Kalilina shrugged.

Aunt Petunia was back outside the door.

"Are you up yet?" she demanded.

"Nearly," hissed Kalilina.

"Well, get a move on, I want you two to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."

Harry groaned.

"Oh, bloody hell, it's that loafs birthday? Time to start the torture times 14," hissed Kalilina.

"What did you say?" snapped Aunt Petunia through the door.

"I _said _- " Kalilina was cut off by Harry.

"Nothing, nothing ..." said Harry, quickly. Aunt Petunia left again.

"Harry," whined Kalilina. "I wish you would stop cutting me off. That bitch needs to realize that her '_Duddykins_' isn't all perfect."

"Not today, Kali. It's already bad enough that it's his birthday. I don't want _extra _work," explained Harry. Kalilina huffed and rolled her eyes.

Dudley's birthday - how could they have forgotten? They both got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks.

When they were dressed they went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's presents.

'_Hey, Harry...would it be cool if I...you know, murder the Dursleys and make it look like an accident?' _thought Kalilina to Harry. They had a way of hearing each other's thoughts.

'_As lovely as that sounds, I don't want to go visit you in jail._' Harry thought back. Kalilina put her hand across her heart and gave Harry an appalled look.

'_You think I can't get away with murder? I am offended!_' thought Kalilina, giving Harry an evil look. Harry rolled his eyes.

'_Calm down, Miss Drama Queen. I don't just think, I __**know. **__Just like how I know that you ate my gummy bears when were 6.' _thought Harry. Kalilina's mouth dropped open and Harry smirked.

'_You knew about that?! What? How?!_' thought Kalilina. Her eyes were frantic and she looked crazed.

'_A Potter always knows, Miss Black._' he thought, tapping her nose. Kalilina glared at him and tended to the bacon. Then came in and gave a look to Harry and Kalilina.

"Brush your hair, both of you!" he grunted in a greeting. Harry could hear Kalilina faintly muttering, "Good morning to you too, Uncle Vernon," He shook his head at his best friend. Just as both Kalilina and Harry were finishing with breakfast, Dudley came bounding in.

"Happy birthday, Duddy!" sang Aunt Petunia. Kalilina grimaced. She already hated the woman's normal voice, but now she had to _sing_? Kalilina and Harry served breakfast, but there was barely enough space to fit plates due to Dudley's excessive amount of presents. Dudley eyed his presents.

"There's 37.." said Dudley, dumbly.

"Wow, you can count past your age, wonderful!" said Kalilina, sarcastically. Uncle Vernon shot her a dirty look but Kalilina grinned back, innocently.

"But - But- that's 2 less than last year!" grumbled Dudley. Harry and Kalilina, who could sense a tantrum, started scarfing down their food, faster. Obviously, Aunt Petunia sensed it too, because she said,

"But, Duddy, dear, you haven't counted that big one from Mummy and Daddy. Right under the one from Aunt Marge,"

Dudley seemed to take this into account.

"Okay. 38. But that's still less than last year!" exclaimed Dudley.

'You're lucky you get things, fat arse. Me and Harry get socks or coat hangers. Be greatful!'

thought Kalilina, bitterly. Harry snickered behind his hand, but stopped when Aunt Petunia gave him a look.

"How about when we go out we get you 2 presents while were're out. 2, pumpkin, how does that sound?" asked Aunt Petunia, desperately. Dudley nodded his head, still pouting. Kalilina glared at Dudley.

Aunt Petunia went to phone for a bit and came back into the living room.

"Miss Figg can't take _them _in," hissed Aunt Petunia, glaring at Kalilina and Harry. "She broke her ankle."

There was silence.

"How about Marge?" asked Aunt Petunia, suddenly.

"On a holiday," grunted Uncle Vernon.

"We _could _stay here by ourselves," suggested Harry, hopefully. Uncle Vernon turned to him.

"And let you burn down the house?" snorted Uncle Vernon.

"We weren't going to burn down the house," said Kalilina. "Quite the contrary, actually. We were going to burn the bodies we've stored away. Isn't that right, Harry?"

The Dursleys looked at Kalilina, terrified, but said nothing.

"I don't want them to go!" cried Dudley. Kalilina scoffed.

"Oh boo-hoo, what makes you think we want to spend time with a pompous arse like _you_," snapped Kalilina. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon gave her a murderous look, but she did nothing but shrug and roll her eyes. Dudley burst into faux tears. His mother tried comforting him, but his cries grew louder. The doorbell rang and when Aunt Petunia opened the front door, Dudley's faux sobs cut off. There stood Piers Polkiss one of Dudley's cronies. Both boys glared at Harry and Kalilina, and they glared right back. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.

Half an hour later, Harry and Kalilina were sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in their life. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with them.

The problem was, strange things often happened around Kalilina and Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys they didn't make them happen.

But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, their cupboard, or 's cabbage-smelling living room.

While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry and Kalilina, the council, Harry and Kalilina, the bank, and Harry and Kalilina were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles.

"...roaring along like maniacs, young hoodlums," he said, as a motorcycle overtook them.

"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."

"Yeah, my motorcycle was flying, too," said Kalilina, remembering suddenly, as well.

Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry and Kalilina, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"

Dudley and Piers sniggered. Kalilina sneered.

"We didn't say they did, you fucking dunce," growled Kalilina. "We just said we had a dream about one."

Harry nudged her, but she continued to glare at the back of Uncle Vernon's fat head.

Kalilina and Harry had the best morning they'd had in a long time. They were careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back and start using them as punching bags.

After lunch they went to the reptile house. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Kalilina hoped that the snakes would mistake Dudley for food and eat him whole. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could wrap itself around Dudley numerous times - but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.

"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.

"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake snoozed on.

"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.

Harry and Kalilina moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake.

The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry and Kalilina's.

It winked.

Kalilina couldn't believe her eyes. "Please tell me you saw that too," whispered Kalilina not removing her eyes from the snake.

"I saw it," breathed Harry. Kalilina winked at the snake.

"Kali, someone could be watching!" scolded Harry.

"Really, Harry? Yeah, some _random _person will be like 'Hey that girl is so weird, winking at the snake.' for all they know, I could've had something in my eye," explained Kalilina.

Harry stayed quiet, knowing it was true.

The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, the raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave them a look that said quite plainly:

"_I get that all the time._"

Kalilina rolled her eyes.

"I know," she murmured through the glass, though she wasn't sure the snake could hear her. "It must be really annoying."

The snake nodded vigirously.

"Where do you come from anway?" asked Harry.

The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry and Kalilina peered at it.

Boa Conscrictor, Brazil.

"Was it nice there?"

The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry and Kalilina read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"

As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry and Kalilina made all three of them jump. "DUDLEY! ! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T _BELIEVE _WHAT IT'S DOING!"

Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.

"Out of the way, you two," he said, pushing both Kalilina and Harry to the ground. Kalilina wanted so badly to just get back up and pounce on Dudley and murder him with her bare hands. But Harry's grip on her arm made her stay on the ground.

One second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had lept back with howls of horror.

Harry and Kalilina sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits,

As the snake slid swiftly past Harry and Kalilina, they could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come...Thanksss, amigos."

Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting to go off on the two. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals," before he collapsed in a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. Kalilina kept yelling, "We didn't do anything! You have no proof!" for the next hour.

"It's all Piers fault," she pouted. "We didn't even do it!"

"I know! We get in trouble for everything!" grumbled Harry. Kalilina huffed and removed a spider that was crawling up her arm.

They'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years. At school, Harry and Kalilina had no one but themselves. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter and that bitchy Kalilina Black in their baggy clothes and in Harry's case, broken glasses, and no body liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.


	2. The Letters from Who?

The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry and Kalilina their longest-ever punishment. By the time they were allowed out of their cupboard again, the summer holidays had started.

Harry and Kalilina were glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day. The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry and Kalilina Hunting.

This is why Harry and Kalilina spent as much time as possible out of the house, wandering around andmaking fun of Dudley. When September came they would be going off to secondary school , they wouldn't be going with Dudley. Dudley had been accepted at the private school, Smeltings. Harry and Kalilina, on the other hand, were going to Stonewall High, the local public school. Dudley thought this was very funny.

"They stuff people's heads down the toilet the first day at Stonewall," he told them. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"

"No, thanks," said Kalilina. "Besides, with your head down it - it might be sick." Then her and Harry ran before Dudley's slow mind could process what had been said.

One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to buy his Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry and Kalilina at 's, wasn't bad as usual. She let Harry and Kalilina watch television and gave them a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.

That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room for the family in his brand new uniform. Smeltings boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers, and flat straw hats called boaters. They also carried knobby sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking. This was supposed to be good training for later in life.

As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from not trying to laugh. Kalilina had tried, but it failed and she fell to the ground laughing. But the Dursleys ignored her.

There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry and Kalilina went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink. They went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in gray water.

"Um, are we having dirty water for breakfast?" questioned Kalilina, sarcastically.

"What's this?" asked Harry to Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did if they dared to ask a question.

"Your new uniforms," she said.

Kalilina raised an eyebrow and looked in the bowl, as did Harry.

"Oh," said Harry. "I didn't realize it had to be so wet."

"Or utterly repulsive." added Kalilina.

"Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of mine and Dudley's old things gray for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."

Harry seemed to take this, but Kalilina, however, did not.

"Hold on. Stop. Do not go foward. Do not collect 200 dollars," she said. "I have to wear _your _clothes? But aren't they from the 18th century? I mean, I'll be the only bloody girl there wearing Shakesperian clothes - hold on. Do I have to wear a skirt?! Oh no no no no no no no. I will not wear a skirt, you'd have to kill me before I wore a skirt."

"Go sit down," hissed Aunt Petunia. Harry grabbed Kalilina's wrist and dragged her over to the table, where they sat down next to each other.

Dudley and Uncle Vernon both came in, both wrinkled their noses because of the smell from Harry and Kalilina's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smelting stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table.

They heard the click of the mail slot and flop of letters on the doormat.

"Get the mail, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.

"Make Harry get it."

"Get the mail, Harry."

"Make Kalilina get it."

"Go get the mail, Kalilina."

"Make Dudley get it."

"Poke her with your stick, Dudley."

Kalilina dodged the Smelting stick and went to get the mail. 4 things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - _a letter for her and Harry._

Kalilina picked it up and stared at hers, her heart beating uncontrollably. No one, ever, in her whole life, had written to her. Who would? She had no one besides Harry and it would be pointless for him to send a letter to her when he lived with her.

Ms.

The Cupboard under the stairs

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Whoa. Whoa. Hold on. How do they know where she sleeps?! How do they even know her name? Harry's letter looked the same. The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the adress was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.

Turning the envelope over, her hand trembling, Kalilina saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter _H_.

"Hurry up, girl!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are doing, checking the letter for bombs?" He chuckled at his own joke.

"Hardy har har," laughed Kalilina sarcastically.

Kalilina went back into the kitchen, gazing down at her letter. She handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard and gave Harry his letter. Harry's eyes went wide in surprise.

'_I have a letter?_' thought Harry. Kalilina nodded.

'_Apparently, so do I. Look at the seal. It looks weird._' thought Kalilina. She noticed his confused expression as he looked down at the seal and looked at her. She shrugged and began opening her letter slowly.

Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust, and flipped over the postcard.

"Marge's ill," he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk..."

"Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry and Kalilina's got something!"

Kalilina was on the point of unfolding her letter, which was written on the same heavy parchment as the envelope, when it was jerked sharply out of her hand by Uncle Vernon. He had done the same to Harry.

"That's _mine_!" shouted both Kalilina and Harry at the same time, trying to grab back their letters.

"Who'd be writing to you two?" sneered Uncle Vernon, shaking Harry's letter open with one hand and glancing it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within second it was the grayish white of old porridge.

"P-Petunia!" he gasped.

Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint. She clutched her throat and made a choking noise.

"Vernon! Oh my goodness - Vernon!"

They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry, Kalilina and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smelting stick.

"I want to read that letter," he said loudly.

"_You_ want to read it?! It's _our _letters, you pathetic excuse for a person!" shouted Kalilina.

"Get out, all 3 of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope.

Harry and Kalilina didn't move.

"WE WANT OUR LETTER!" shouted Harry. Kalilina stared wide eyed at Harry, he never really yelled.

"Let _me _see it!" demanded Dudley. Kalilina took his Smelting stick and started beating him with it.

"OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon. Harry had to literally throw Kalilina over his shoulder and carry her out. Once inside their cupboard, Kalilina raged.

"I want my letter, god dammit! IT WAS MINE!" She grumbled. Harry sighed and held out his arm. Kalilina jerked it towards her and bit down. Harry closed his eyes tightly and tried not to yell. Whenever Kalilina was angry, she bit down on Harry's arm. Only Harry's. She didn't trust anyone else. Once she calmed down, she snuggled into Harry's chest. Harry wrapped his arms around her.

"Calm, now?" He asked. She shrugged.

"A little," she responded.

"I still want my letter," grumbled Harry. Kalilina nodded.

That evening when he got back from, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before; he visited Harry and Kalilina in their cupboard.

"Where's our letters?" said Kalilina, the moment Uncle Vernon had squeezed through the door. "Who's writing to us?"

"No one. It was adressed to you two by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."

"It was _not _a mistake," said Harry angrily, "it had our cupboard on it."

"SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon, and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.

"Er - yes - Harry - Kalilina - about this cupboard. Me and your aunt have been thinking...you both are getting really big for it...we think it might be nice if you two moved into Dudley's second bedrooom."

"Why?" asked Harry.

"Don't asking questions!" snapped Uncle Vernon. "Take your stuff upstairs, now."

The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept, and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. It only took Harry and Kalilina one trip upstairs to move everything they owned from the cupboard to this room. They both sat down on their beds and stared around them.

From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother, "I don't _want _them in there...I _need _that room...make them get out..."

"TOO BAD SO SAD, DUDLEY. OUR ROOM NOW." shouted Kalilina and Dudley's sobs grew louder. Harry laughed at this. Both of them laid on their beds and sighed. Yesterday they'd given anything to be up here. Today they'd rather be back in their cupboard with their letters then up here.

Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He still didn't have his room back. Harry and Kalilina were thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wished they'd open their letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly.

When the mail arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry and Kalilina, made Dudley go and get it. They heard him banging things with his Smelting stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's two more! 'Ms.K. Black and Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive-"

With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry and Kalilina right behind him. Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letters from him, which was made difficult by the fact Kalilina had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind. Harry tried pulling Kalilina off. After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit a lot by the Smelting stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry and Kalilina's letters clutched in his hand.

"Go to your cupboard - I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry and Kalilina. "Dudley - go - just go."

"MINE! MINE MINE MINE! YOU DICKHEAD! GIMME MY LETTER! NOW! I WANT IT! GAHHHHH!" shouted Kalilina the whole way Harry dragged her to their bedroom.

Kalilina walked round and round their new room. Someone knew they had moved out of their cupboard and they seemed to know they hadn't recieved their first letter. Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time she'd make sure they didn't fail. She had a plan.

The alarm clock rang at six o' clock the next morning. Kalilina quickly turned it off quickly and dressed silently. She would wake Harry, but she wanted to this by her self. She knew that he would probably prevent her from going, as usual. But she definitely wasn't going to wake the Dursleys. She went downstairs silently as possible.

She was going to wait for the postman on the corner and get letters from number 4 first. Her heart hammered as she crept across the dark hall toward the front door -

"AAAAARRRGH!"

Kalilina screeched and leapt into the air; she'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat - something _alive! _

Lights clicked on upstairs and to her horror Kalilina realized that the big squashy something had been Harry's uncle's face. He shouted at Kalilina for a half an hour and then told her to make a cup of tea. Kalilina shuffled miserably off into the kitchen and by the time she got back, the mail had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry had come down and Kalilina told him what had happened while he was asleep. Kalilina could see six letter adressed in green ink.

"I want -" she began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before their eyes. Kalilina lunged at him but Harry grabbed her before she could claw Uncle Vernon's eyes out.

"I - hate - you!" growled Kalilina as she struggled from Harry's grasp.

Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot.

"See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't _deliver _them they'll give up."

"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon."

"Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon, trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him.

On Friday, no less than twelve letters each arrived for Harry and Kalilina. Uncle Vernon stayed home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" as he worked, and jumped at small noises - which Kalilina made, purposely.

On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. Twenty-four letters for Harry and Kalilina each, had found their way into the house. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.

"Who on earth wants to talk to _you two _this badly?" Dudley asked Harry and Kalilina in amazement. Kalilina replied with, "Bitches love us."  
On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tired and rather ill, but happy.

"No post on Sundays," he reminded them cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today-"  
Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. The Dursleys screamed and ducked but Kalilina and Harry jumped up trying to catch one.

"Hallelujah, it's raining letters!" exclaimed Kalilina.

"Stop singing and grab one!" shouted Harry.

"Out! OUT!"

Uncle Vernon seized Kalilina around the waist and threw her into the hall. He did the same with Harry. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could still hear letters streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floors.

"That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his mustache at the same time. "I want you all back here in five minutes ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"

No one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded-up doors and were in the car, speeding toward the highway. Dudley was sniffling in the backseat; his father had hit him round the head for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, VCR, and computer in his sports bag. Kalilina had gotten smacked in the head for laughing at Dudley getting smacked in the head and "not getting her arse to the car". But she wasn't sniffling like a little bitch.

They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while.

"Shake 'em off...shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this.

"Someone's mental," sang Kalilina. Harry snickered behind his hand.

They didn't stop or eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life.

Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley, Harry and Kalilina shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry and Kalilina stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering...

They ate stale cornflakes - to which Kalilina said "Just like home!" - and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast the next day. They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table.

"'Scuse me, but is two of you Mrs. K. Black and Mr. H. Potter? Only got about an 'undred of these at the front desk."

She held up a letter so they could ready the green ink adress:

_Mrs. K. Black_

_Room 17_

_Railview Hotel_

_Cokeworth_

Kalilina made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked her hand out the way. The woman stared.

"I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room.

"Wouldn't it just be best to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested, timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon seemed to ignore her. Exactly what he was looking for, no one knew.

"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon.

"You _just _noticed?" said Kalilina, sarcastically.

Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car, and disappeared.

It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley sniveled.

"It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a _television_."

"Oh boo-hoo for you," scoffed Kalilina rolling her eyes.

Wait. Monday. That meant Harry's birthday was tomorrow. His birthdays were never exciting, he never got present like Dudley, but still. It wasn't everyday you turn eleven. Kalilina had turned 11 already in Feburary.

Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling. He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.

"Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"

It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out at sea. Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack that looked as though it would fall in at any moment.

"Wait..what. We're sleeping in there?!" screeched Kalilina. "It looks like the bloody place would fall on us!"

"You're trying to kill us, aren't you?" said Harry. Of course, they were ignored.

"Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"

A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowboat bobbing in the iron-gray water below them.

"I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"

Kalilina held onto Harry for dear life as they entered the boat. She hated boats. She hated riding in them, for sure. It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like years they reached the rocks, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding, led the way to the broken-down house.

The inside was horrible; it was horribly dirty, dingy and smelled to much like the sea.

Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a bag of chips and 5 bananas. He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.

"Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said, cheerfully. Kalilina glared at him, menacingly.

Uncle Vernon was in a very good mood. Obviously, he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver mail.

As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows. Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made a bed for Dudley on the mouth-eaten sofa. She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry and Kalilina were left to find the softest bit of floor they could amd to curl up under the most thinnest, most ragged blanket.

The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry and Kalilina couldn't sleep. Harry shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. Kalilina stayed as close as possible to Harry, whimpering slightly. She didn't like thunderstorms, they scared her.

"Scared, Black?" taunted Harry.

"You wish, Potter." sneered Kalilina. There was a loud rumble and Kalilina closed her eyes tightly, thrusting her head into Harry's chest. Harry chuckled sending vibrations through Kalilina's body.

The light dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, wondering where the letter writer was now.

Five minutes to go. Harry and Kalilina heard something creak outside. They hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although it might hurt the Dursleys in the process. Four minutes to go. Maybe the house in Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that they'd be able to smuggle one to read it.

Three minutes to go. Goodness, what was that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?

One minute to go and Harry'd be eleven. Thirty seconds...twenty..ten...nine - maybe Kalilina'd wake up Dudley, just to annoy him - three...two...one...

BOOM.

The whole shack shivered and Harry and Kalilina sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.


	3. Is Hogwarts a disease?

BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.

"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands - now they knew what had been in that long, thing package he had brought with them.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"

"I hope you're here to kill the Dursleys!" shouted Kalilina, earning a muderous look from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.

There was a pause. Then -

SMASH!

The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a defeaning crash landed flat on the floor.

A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.

The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.

"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."

Kalilina stared wildly at the man. He knocks down the door, fixes it, and asks for tea? So many things wrong with this situation! Kalilina looked at Harry and Harry looked at Kalilina.

'_Do you know him?_' thought Harry.

'No. I thought you did.'

Kalilina thought back.

'No.'

thought Harry. They both shrugged and turned to the giant.

The giant strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.

"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"An' here's Harry and Kalilina!" said the giant.

Kalilina and Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.

"Las' time I saw you two, you both were only babies," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot yer dad, Harry. But yeh've got your mum's eyes."

The giant turned his gaze on Kalilina.

"An' you, Kalilina," he said. "You look a lot like yer mum. But you have yer father's eyes."

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.

Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

"Anyway - Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with _Happy Birthday_ _Harry _written on it in green icing.

"An' don't think I forgot abou' yeh, Kalilina" said the giant again. He pulled a huge slightly smushed cupcake. Kalilina took it and looked at the icing. It was written in blue icing : _Happy Belated Birthday, Kalilina_.

Kalilina grinned widely and took a bite out of the cupcake. She moaned in content.

Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"

The giant chuckled.

"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rebeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

He held out enormous hands and shook Harry and Kalilina's whole arm.

"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."

His eyes fell on the empty grate with shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Kalilina and Harry felt the warmth wash over them as though they'd sunk into a hot bath.

The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat : a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while giant was working, but as he slid the six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."

The giant chuckled darkly.

"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don't worry."

Kalilina cackled with laughter. The giant passed the sausages to Harry and Kalilina, who were so hungry they had never tasted anything so wonderful, Harry still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but we still don't really know who you are."

The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told even yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."

"Hogwarts? What the _hell_ is that? No offense or anything but, it sounds like some disease," said Kalilina.

Hagrid looked shocked.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly.

"_Sorry_?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Durlseys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I know yeh two weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"

"Learned all what?" asked Kalilina.

"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!"

He head leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.

"Do you mean to tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that these two - these two - know nothin' abou' - about ANYTHING?"

"Hold on, this is going a bit far," said Kalilina. "Don't think we're stupid. We aren't. We can do math and stuff."

But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About _our _world, I mean. _Your _world. _Yer parents' world_."

"What world?"

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.

"DURSLEY!" He boomed.

Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared widly at Harry and Kalilina.

"But yeh two must know about yer mum and dad," he said. "I mean, they're _famous_. Your _famous_."

"Hold on. What? _I'm _famous? Me? _Me_? Sorry, I'm having a hard time believing this," scoffed Kalilina. "And if _I'm _not famous, neither are my parents."

"My- my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?" asked Harry.

"Yeh don' know..yeh don' know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry and Kalilina with a bewildered stare.

"Yeh don' know what yeh _are_?" he said finally.

Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.

"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell them anything!"

Kalilina wanted to shout at the man, but instead Hagrid said something.

"You never told them? Never told them what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from them all these years?" he said.

"Keep _what_ from us?" said Harry eagerly.

"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.

Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry - you're a wizard and Kalilina - you're a witch."

There was silence in the hut. It was broken by Kalilina laughing loudly.

"I was totally going with it. But then - then you said I was a- a - _witch_!" laughed Kalilina.

"I'm a _what_?" gasped Harry. Kalilina stopped laughing.

"Wait. You're - you're.. _serious_?" gasped Kalilina.

"Yeh two are both a witch and wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' thumpin' good'un's I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With parents like yeh two's, what else would yeh two be? An' I reckon it's about time yeh two read yer letter."

Kalilina stretched out her hand to finally be able to grasp her letter. She looked it, amazed, shocked, happy, relieved. The letter was adressed in emerald green to Ms. K. Black, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. She pulled out the letter and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL _of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizar_ds)_

Dear Ms. Black

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Kalilina stared at the letter. What was all this? Hogwarts? Albus _Dumbledore_? 'Await your owl'?

"I still think Hogwarts is a disease." said Kalilina finally. Harry, however, was still silent. After a few minutes stammered out, "What does it mean, they await your owl?"

"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl - a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Kalilina and Harry could read upside down:

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Given Harry and Kalilina their letter.

Taking them to but their things tomorrow.

Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.

Hagrid.

Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and thre the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.

Kalilina couldn't help but say something.

"Who the _hell _does that?" she said. "Oh yeah, lets just write a letter, use a freaking _owl_, and throw it out the door, like it was a telephone call."

Hagrid chuckled.

"Where was I?" he said, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the fire light.

"They aren't going," he said.

Hagrid grunted while Kalilina snorted.

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop them," Hagrid said.

"A what?" said Harry, interested.

"Does everything in the wizarding world sound like a disease?" questioned Kalilina.

Hagrid chuckled again. "No," he said. " a Muggle," he said, replying to Harry's question, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I've ever laid eyes on."

"We swore when we took them in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Unlce Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of them! Wizard and witch indeed!"

"You _knew_?" said Harry. "You _knew _I'm a - a wizard?"

"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "_Knew! _Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that - that _school_ - and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one that saw her for what she was - a _freak_! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"

She stopped to draw a breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.

"Then she met that Potter at school. Along with that Black and McKinnon. Came almost every summer, they did. Once they all got married they had you two, and I knew that you to would be the same, just as strange, just as - as - _abnormal_ - and then, if you please, that McKinnon and Lily got themselves blown up and we got landed with you two!"

"You told me my mother overdosed! And my father, you said he killed himself! Were you lying about that too?" shouted Kalilina.

Harry had gone white. Once he found his voice, he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"

"CAR CRASH! OVERDOSE! KILL HIMSELF!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? Marlene McKinnon overdosing? Outrage! Sirius Black, killing himself? A scandal! Harry Potter and Kalilina Black not knowin' their own story when every kid in our world knows their name!"

"Know _our _name? _Our _name? That's absurd!" said Kalilina. "I'm only Kalilina..only Kalilina..and Harry's only Harry.."

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "we can't be magical."

"Why are we famous anyway? Did we save a kitten from a burning tree?" asked Kalilina.

"Yeah. What happened?" said Harry.

The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.

"I never expected this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but someone's gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."  
He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.

"Well it's best you know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."

He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said. "It begins..."

After Hagrid had finished his story, Harry and Kalilina stood there with confused expression.

"Hagrid," said Harry quietly. "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't we can be a wizard and witch."

To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.

"Not a wizard and witch, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"

Kalilina and Harry thought about it. A lot things had happened when they were mad.

They looked back to Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at them.

"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter and Kalilina Black, not a wizard and witch - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."

But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.

"Haven't I told you that they aren't going?" he hissed. "They're going to Stonewall High and they'll be greatful for it. I've read those letters and they needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books and wands and -"

"If they wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop them," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son an' Sirius an' Marlene Black's daughter from goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. Their name's been down ever since they were born. They're off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and they won't know themselves. They'll be with youngesters of their own sort, fer a change, an' they'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled-"

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH THEM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled over it his head, "NEVER -" he thundered, " - IN - SULT - ALBUS - DUMBLEDORE - IN - FRONT - OF - ME!"

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley - there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry and Kalilina saw a curly pig's tail poking through in his trousers.

Harry and Kalilina fell to the ground, howling with laughter. Unce Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudle into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.

"BITCH JUST GOT SERVED!" laughed Kalilina. Harry couldn't breathe and started wheezing. Kalilina laughed harder and started snorting. Finally, after a few minutes, they had wiped their tears from laughing so hard and were now calm.

Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.

"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully. "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter him into a pig, but I suppose he was already too much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."

He cast a sideways look at Harry and Kalilina under his bushy eyebrows.

"Be greatful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "Im - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin', I was allowed to do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuf - one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take the job -"

"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Kalilina.

"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

"Why were you expelled?"

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."

He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry and Kalilina.

"You two can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."


	4. Diagon Alley, oh my!

Harry woke up early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.

"It was dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me and Kalilina we were going to a school for wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in me and Kalilina's cupboard."

There suddenly was a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door,

Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still didn't open his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."

He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him. The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa, Kalilina was sleeping peacefully next to him, snoring midly, and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.

Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him. He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered onto the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat, which Kalilina was sleeping under. Kalilina woke up, screeching. She flung the coat off of her and ducked behind the couch.

"Don't do that."

Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat. Kalilina crawled from behind the couch.

"Bloody bird, waking me up," she grumbled. She got up and tried helping Harry move the owl away from the coat.

"Hagrid!" said Kalilina loudly. "There's an owl -"

"Pay him," Hagrid gruntyed into the sofa.

"What?"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."

Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing _but _pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags..finally Kalilina pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.

"Knuts?"

"The little bronze ones."

Kalilina counted out five little bronze coins, and the owl held out its leg so Kalilina could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then he flew off through the open window.

Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up, and stretched.

"Best be off, you two, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Kalilina was turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. She had just thought of something that made her once happy mood dampen.

"Um- Hagrid?"

"Mm?" said Hagrid, who was pulling on his huge boots.

"Neither Harry nor I have money - and you heard Uncle Vernon last night... he won't pay for us to go and learn magic."

"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid, standing up and stratching his head. "D'yeh think yer parents didn't leave yeh anything?"

"But wasn't the house destroyed?"

"Nah, first stop fer us is Gringotts. Wizards' bank. Have a sausage, they're not bad cold - an' I wouldn't say no teh a bit o' yer birthday cake, neither, Harry."

"Wizards have banks?"

"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins."

Harry dropped the bit of sausage he was holding while Kalilina choked on hers.

"_Goblins_?"

"Yeah - so yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that.

"Got everythin'? Come on, then."

Harry and Kalilina followed Hagrid out onto the rock. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked, looking around for another boat.

"Are we going to use a magic carpet, like I read in those fairytale books?" Kalilina asked, looking around for a carpet.

Hagrid chuckled. "I flew."

"_Flew_?"

"Yeah - but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now I've got you two."

They settled down in the boat, much to Kalilina's dismay, Harry still staring at Hagrid, trying to imagine him flying.

"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry and Kalilina another sideways look. "If I was ter - er - speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"

"Of course not," said Harry eager to see more magic.

"Wait!" said Kalilina. "Can you make it go not so fast, I don't fancy boats all too much."

Hagrid pulled out the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat, and they sped off towards land. Kalilina buried her head into Harry's chest, clinging on to him for dear life.

In a few short moments the boat bumped gently into the harbor wall. Kalilina was first to jump out. As soon as she did, the color came back to her face. Hagrid folded up his newpaper, and they clambered up the stone steps onto the street.

Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Kalilina and Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, you two? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?" to which Kalilina responded with, "These Muggles. Can't live with them. Can't live without them." in her New Jersery accent.

Hagrid," said Harry, panting a bit as he ran to keep up, "did you say there are _dragons _at Gringotts?"

"Well, so they say," said Hagrid. "Crikey, I'd like a dragon."

"You'd _like _one?" Kalilina asked. "A dragon. The one that breathes fire and can _kill _you? Blimey, you're mad!"

Hagrid barked with laughter and nodded. "Wanted one ever since I was a kid - here we go."

They had reached the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't understand "Muggle money" as he called it, gave the bills to Harry and Kalilina so they could buy their tickets.

People stared more than ever on the train. Hagrid took up two seats and sat knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.

"Still got yer letter, Harry? Kalilina?" he asked as he counted stitches.

Kalilina and Harry took the parchment envelope out of their pockets.

"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."

Kalilina and Harry both unfolded a second piece of paper connected to the first paper, and read:

First-year students will require:

Uniform

o

Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)

o

One Plain Pointed Hat (Black) for day wear

o

One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)

o

One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)

o

Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags.

Books

o

The Standard Book of Spells(Grade 1)

by Miranda Goshawk

o

A History of Magic

by Bathilda Bagshot

o

Magical Theory

by Adalbert Waffling

o

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration

by Emeric Switch

o

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi

by Phyllida Spore

o

Magical Drafts and Potions

by Arsenius Jigger

o

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

by Newt Scamander

o

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection

by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

o

1 Wand

o

1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

o

1 set of glass or crystal phials

o

1 telescope

o

1 set of brass scales

o

Students may also bring an Owl OR a Cat OR a Toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.

"Are we going to be able to buy all this in London?" asked Kalilina.

"If yeh know where to go," said Hagrid.

Kalilina and Harry had never been to London before. It was quite an exciting expierince.

After getting through the Underground, the three walked until they got to a dingy old pub.

"This is it, " said Hagrid. "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."

The inside was very dark and shabby. A few people were sitted around the pub. The small amount of chatter stopped when the three walked in. It seemed as though most of the people knew Hagrid as they smiled and waved, and the bartender reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"

"Can't, Tom, taking Harry and Kalilina here to get their supplies," replied Hagrid, clapping two huge hands on Harry and Kalilina's shoulders. Their knees buckled beneath them.

The whole pub had gone eerily silent.

"Oh my stars," whispered an elderly lady from the back, "Harry Potter and Kalilina Black..never thought I'd live to see the day..."

This caused everyone to get up from their seats and go to the two 11 year olds.

"Tamsin Fritters," said an elderly old lady, "Miss Black! What an honor!"

"Doris Crocford, . Ms. Black, can't believe I'm meeting you two at last."

"So proud, you two, I'm just so proud."

"Always wanted to shake you two's hands - I'm all of a flutter!"

"Look at you, Miss Black! You're even more beautiful in person, my dear!"

"Delighted Mr. Potter, Ms. Black, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name. Dedalus Diggle."

"I've seen you before!" screeched Kalilina. "You bowed to me before!"

Kalilina seized the man and brought him into a hug.

"She remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? She remembers me! And I got a hug from her!"

Harry and Kalilina shook hands with numerous people.

A pale young man, who looked on the verge of having a nervous breakdown came to the front.

"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid. "Harry, Kalilina, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"P-P-Potter, B-B-Black," stammered Professor Quirrell taking both of their hands, "c-can't tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

'_His new nickname,_' thought Kalilina, '_is Professor Stuttering Problems._'

Harry gave her a stern look. '_Kalilina, that's mean._'

Kalilina shrugged. '_It's true._'

Harry shook his head at her.

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, y-you two?" he laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose. I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at that very thought.

Soon, Harry and Kalilina were taken away from Quirrell and brought back to the others.

"Must get on - lots ter buy. Come on, Harry. Kalilina."

Hagrid's loud voice was heard over all the people in the pub. Tamsin Fritters kissed Kalilina's cheeks one more time, Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one more time before they could leave. Hagrid led them through the bar and out into a small, walled, courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

Hagrid grinned at Harry and Kalilina.

"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you two was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet you - mind you, he's usually tremblin'."

"Is he always that nervous?"

"Oh, yeah. Poor bloke. Brilliant mind. He was fine while he was studyin' outta books but then he took a year off ter get some first had experience..They say he met vampires in the Black Forest, and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag - never been the same since. Scared of the students, scared of his own subject - now, where's me umbrella?"

'_That's just stupid._' thought Kalilina, '_why not just teach another subject if you're afraid of the one you're currently teaching?'_

Harry shrugged. Hagrid, meanwhile, was counting bricks in the wall above the trash can.

"Three up..two acros.." he muttered. "Right, stand back, Harry, Kalilina."

He tapped the wall three times with the point of his umbrella. Harry and Kalilina watched in amazement as the wall opened up and turned itself into an archwall.

"Wicked!" gasped Kalilina.

"Welcome, " said Hagrid, " to Diagon Alley."

He grinned at Harry's amzement. They stepped through the archway. As they walked, Kalilina looked over her shoulder and saw the archway shape itself back into a wall.

'_ I could get used to this being a with stuff,_' thought Kalilina. Harry agreed.

'_So could I._' he thought back.

After walking a few ways, they reached Gringotts, the wizarding bank run by goblins. As they walked in, Kalilina read words engraved on a silver door.

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

'_Just watch some dumbass try and rob this place._' snorted Kalilina in amusement. They walked in and walked to the front counter.

"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outts Mr. Harry Potter's safe, as well as Ms. Kalilina Black's safe."

"You their key, sir?"

"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid. After dumping literally everything out of his pockets, Hagrid gave the goblin two tiny golden keys. "Here ya go."

The goblin looked at them closely.

"That seems to be in order."

"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore, " said Hagrid, puffing out his chest proudly, "It's about You-Know-What in vault You-Know-Which."

The goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well, " he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to those three vaults. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had shoved his things into his pockets again, he, Harry and Kalilina followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading of the hall.

"What's the You-Know-What in vault You-Know-Which?" asked Kalilina, eagerly.

"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Hogwarst business."

Kalilina rolled her eyes and huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Harry patted her on the head. She glared at him and he quickly moved his hand. As Griphook opened yet another door, Kalilina nearly laughed. She had expexcted something fancy, but instead it was just stone. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks in front of them/ They climbed in - Hagrid with great difficulty - and were off.

Kalilina squealed and laughed as they sped on the tracks. Harry kept quiet and Hagrid looked like he would be sick if he opened his mouth at all. When the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop the dizziness.

Griphook unlocked the door to the vault. A cloud of dust enveloped them and when it cleared, Harry gasped. Inside was heaps of gold, silver and bronze.

"Whoa," he mumurmed. Kalilina just stared wide eyed at the amount.

"All yours, Harry," smiled Hagrid. Hagrid helped Harry piled some of it into his bag. As Hagrid explained the differences of the coins to Harry, Kalilina thought about how much money she would have.

"Now your vault, Kalilina," said Hagrid. "Miss Black's vault now, please, and can we go more slowly?"

"One speed only," said Griphook. Again, Kalilina screeched and squealed, in happiness. Harry didn't know how she could like this so much. They went deeper down, way down.

"We have to be careful," said Griphook, getting out of the cart.

"Careful? For what?" asked Kalilina. But as they walked, Kalilina knew why. Right in front of her was albino dragon. She nearly started shrieking, but she thought better of it.

"Why - _why the bloody fucking hell is there a dragon down here_?" Kalilina hissed.

"I told yeh, you'd be mad tryin' to rob it." said Hagrid.

"Take these," said Griphook, giving the three these weird looking contraptions, "if you shake them, the dragon won't come near you."

So, as they walked, the dragon eyes them, and Kalilina waved her contraprtion frantically. They finally reach her vault and she sighs out in relief.

"You're so lucky, Harry," she said, clutching her chest, "everytime you want to take money out of your vault, you don't have to encounter a bloody fucking dragon!"  
"It's a beauty," said Hagrid, admiring the dragon. "I'd like one."

Kalilina smacked her forehead and groaned. "You know what? Go talk to the dragon. Go kiss it, love it, and who knows? Maybe it'll decide _not _to make its lunch."

Hagrid shook his head and Kalilina focused her attention back on Griphook, who was opening her vault. Just like Harry's, a cloud of smoke poofed out at them, and when it cleared, Kalilina let out a squeal of surprise. If Harry had a lot of money, she had probably 3 times as much.

"Bloody fucking hell," she whispered, "I'm rich!"

Hagrid chuckled and helped her put some of it into her bag, just like he had done with Harry.

After getting out Gringotts and getting whatever it was out of vault You-Know Which (which Kalilina and Harry learned was vault seven hundered and thirteen), they stood outside of Gringotts.

"Those infernal carts make me dizzy," said Hagrid. "Mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron?"

He did look a little sick, so Kalilina and Harry nervously trudged to Madam Malkin's.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dears?" she said when Kalilina tried to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

Harry got placed next to a girl with fiery red hair and a chubby face, while Kalilina got placed next to a boy with a pale, pointed face in the back. Kalilina thought he looked remarkably like a ferret. Madam Malkin's helper stood Kalilina on a stool next ferret boy, slipped a long robe over her head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy," Hogwarts, too?"

"Nope," responded Kalilina, "I'm joining the circus and need an outfit."

"You have a sense of humour," said the boy, dryly, "I like that."

Kalilina shrugged.

"My father's next door buying my books and Mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He seemed bored while talking. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully Father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

"I'm sorry," said Kalilina, stopping him before he could go any further. "but do you know who Dudley Dursley is?"

The boy looked puzzled. "Who in Merlin's beard is _that_?"

"Oh, you don't know him?" Kalilina said, feigning shock, "That shocks me, seeing as both of you are stuck-up arses. You two have to know each other, somehow."

The boy sneered, but did comment. Instead, he continued on. "Have _you _got your own broom?"

"No," said Kalilina. Hell - she didn't even know they existed until yesterday.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"I'm still standing by the fact that everything sounds like a disease in the wizarding world," said Kalilina. "I don't play 'Quid-itch'."

"_I _do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my House, and I must say, I agree. Know what House you'll be in yet?"

"No," said Kalilina. What the bloody what was a House? Like, one you lived in..or..?

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

At this point, Kalilina wasn't even going to _try _to figure out what the boy was talking about.

"Mm," said Kalilina, not caring anymore.

"I say, look at that man!" said the boy, nodding toward the front window. Hagrid was grinning and holding three icecream cones.

"Oh, him, that's Hagrid," grinned Kalilina. "He works at Hogwarts."

"Oh," said the boy. "I've heard of him. He's sort of a servant, isn't he?"

"Get your facts straight, kid," she snapped. "He's a gamekeeper." The boy was starting to irk her.

"Yes, exactly. I heard he's sort of _savage _- lives in a hut on the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk , tries to do magic, and sets fire to his bed."

"Isn't that a bit stalkerish?" smirked Kalilina. "But don't talk about Hagrid like that. _I _happen to think he's brilliant."

"_Do _you?" said the boy, with a slight sneer. "Why is he with you? Where are your parents?"

"My mum's dead and my father's in jail." replied Kalilina, shortly.

"Oh, sorry," said the boy, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were _our _kind, weren't they?"

"You heartless bastard," hissed Kalilina. "I said my mum died and my father was in jail, and all you could say was '_Oh, sorry_' and not even fucking mean it? But they were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."

"I really don't think they should let in the other sort, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname anyway?"

'_Wow, the bastard didn't even let me get a word in. Even though I didn't have a fucking clue what he was talking about._' thought Kalilina, bitterly.

Madam Malkin saved Kalilina from speaking and said, "That's you done, my dear," and Kalilina hopped off her stool, glad that she didn't have to talk to the heartless prick anymore.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose," said the drawling boy.

"Hopefully not," replied Kalilina. "If there is another time, I will kill you with my bare hands."

And with that, she left the boy awestruck, and skipped out the shop.

Today had been a long day for both Harry and Kalilina. They had gotten their wands - Harry's was a hollywood and phoenix feather, eleven inches and Kalilina's was mahogony and dragon heart-string twelves inches - and now they just wanted to go home and sleep.

After grabbing a quick bite, Hagrid put Kalilina and Harry back on a train that would take them to the Dursleys. He handed them both a envelope.

"Yer tickets to Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September - King's Cross - it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, Harry, she'll know where to find me..See yeh soon, you two."

The train pulled out of the station. Harry and Kalilina wanted to watch Hagrid until he was out of his sight; he rose in his seat and pressed their noses against the window, but he blinked and Hagrid had disappeared.

"Today was exciting," muttered Kalilina, feeling her eyes droop. Her new cat, Starshine, was cuddled in her lap.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. Kalilina yawned and rested her head on Harry's shoulder, quickly falling asleep.


	5. Meeting Granger, and the Weasleys

Even though the last month with the Dursleys wasn't enjoyable - it never really was - Kalilina and Harry didn't care. All they cared about was going to Hogwarts on the first. Kalilina would always brag to Dudley, telling him about all the things she'd learn. Dudley would usually run away to his mother, sobbing.

Even though Kalilina never read, her new school books were hell of a lot more interesting than her muggle school books. Kalilina usually read while stroking her cat, Starshine late into the night, possible even into early morning hours. Both Harry and Kalilina counted down until the exciting day of September 1st.

On the last day of August, Harry decided that it would best to see if Uncle Vernon would take himself and Kalilina to the train. Kalilina didn't really care - she would scream and shout until Uncle Vernon did anyway. Harry interuppted the Dursleys when they were watching television. Dudley looked uneasy. Kalilina whispered, "Boo!" and Dudley fled the living room shrieking.

"Er- Uncle Vernon?"

Uncle Vernon grunted as a form of response.

"Er - We need to be at King's Cross Tomorrow to - to go to Hogwarts."

Uncle Vernon grunted once more and Kalilina was starting to wonder if he was doing it on purpose. But they both took it as a yes.

"Thank you." said Harry.

"See, I told you, Harry. Nothing to worry about." Kalilina said, grinning. But as they were about to go back upstairs, Uncle Vernon actually spoke.

"Funny way to get to a wizard's school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?"

Harry didn't say anything and Kalilina shrugged.

"Where is this school anyway?"

"Well, it's in this place called 'We-don't-fucking-know-we'll-find out-when we get there'," responded Kalilina, seriously. "I don't think people as prude as you are allowed there."

Uncle Vernon grew red in the face and was about to say something when Harry quickly saved Kalilina's arse.

"We don't know," said Harry, quickly. In all reality, it hadn't struck him that he didn't know where the school was. He took out the ticket he had gotten from Hagrid.

"Apparently, we just take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock," he read off the ticket.

His aunt and uncle stared at him, as though he was some sort of freak.

"Platform _what_?"

"Nine and three-quarters, what, are you deaf?"

"Don't talk rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, glaring at Kalilina, "There is no platform nine and three-quarters."

"Well obviously there is," said Kalilina, gesturing to the ticket. "They wouldn't have put it on the ticket otherwise!"

"Let me see that," snapped Uncle Vernon, snatching the ticket out of Harry's hands. "King's Cross..11:00...Platform nine and three-quarters..."

"See," said Harry, "We weren't lying."

"Barking," said Uncle Vernon shaking his head, " howling mad, the lot of them. You'll see. You just wait. We'll take you two freaks to King's Cross. We're going up to London anyway, or I wouldn't take you anywhere."

"Why are you going to London?" Harry asked, trying to keep things friendly. Kalilina jabbed him with her elbow, giving him a pointed look.

'_Remember, Harry, we don't care._' thought Kalilina.

'_Hey, they _are _bringing us to King's Cross. Don't want to mess that up, do we?_' Harry thought back.

'_I like the way you think, Potter._' smirked Kalilina. Harry smirked back and they both turned their attention back towards Uncle Vernon.

"Taking Dudley to the hospital," growled Uncle Vernon. "Got to have that bloody tail removed before he goes to Smeltings."

"Well if the brat wasn't already pig-like, he'd be a full pig," said Kalilina under her breath. Unfortunately, for her, Uncle Vernon heard it. He seized her by the collar of her shirt and brought her close to his fat face.

"What did you say, girl?" he asked, dangerously calm. Most children her age would be terrified. Not Kalilina. Kalilina, however, just grinned at the man.

"I said nothing, Uncle Vernon," said Kalilina in a sickingly sweet voice, "Are you sure you aren't still paranoid? You should really see someone about that."

"Go upstairs before I change my mind about tomorrow," growled Uncle Vernon. He let go of her and threw her to the ground. She got up prepared to punch him in the face or atleast do some damage. But once again, Harry saved Kalilina's arse. He took her back upstairs, without saying a word.

Harry woke at five in the morning. He had woken up Kalilina too, out of excitement. She ended up nearly yelling at him and threatening to murder him next time he did it, but stayed awake. The two sat up, unable to go back to sleep. Kalilina was thinking of all the things she would learn. Her mind drifted back to the boy she met in Madam Malkin's. She really hoped she wouldn't see him at Hogwarts. Or else his pointy ferret face would no longer look..'_perfect_'.

"What do you think we'll learn?" asked, Harry, laying back on his bed.

"Magic, of course," said Kalilina, in a obvious tone. "I want to learn how to fly."

"Fly? Are you sure they do that at Hogwarts?" asked Harry, turning his head and looking at her.

Kalilina snorted. "Harry, it's a _magic _school. Of course they would have flying. And I think it said something about first years taking a flying lesson or something of the sort in Hogwarts A, History..can't be too sure..."

Harry chuckled. It was silent for a few minutes before Harry spoke up again.

"You know," whispered Harry. "It's unbelievable."

"Being magic? Yeah, I know," Kalilina whispered back. "Especially when you're us. The children who lived, apparently."

"I'm kind of nervous, though," said Harry. "Are you?"

"Nervous is the understatement of the year," laughed Kalilina. "I'm literally terrified, Harry. But it helps that you're going through it too."  
"Same here," Harry laughed, quietly. Kalilina hopped off of her bed and plopped on Harry's, laying on his chest.

"Harry," said Kalilina.

"Mm?" Harry said, playing with her hair.

"I fear some shit is going to go down this year." said Kalilina.

Despite the situation, they both fell into a fit of giggles.

Two hours later, Kalilina and Harry's trunks were in the trunk of Uncle Vernon's car. Harry held Hedwig's, what he decided to name his owl, cage in his lap and Kalilina craddled Starshine against her chest. Unfortunately, for Dudley, he had sit right in between the two people he feared the most. Through most of the drive, Kalilina kept jabbing Dudley with her wand, threatening him. In her mind, it was pay back on him for all those times he scared her with storms and rats. The two things she feared the most.

They reached King's Cross at half past ten. Kaliljna didn't dare let Uncle Vernon touch her belongings, as she - with the help of Harry - heaved her large trunk onto a cart and wheeled it into the station. Harry, however, let Uncle Vernon touch his things. When they stopped at the platforms, Uncle Vernon stopped and stared at them with a nasty grin on his face. Kalilina cowered behind Harry, not liking that grin.

"Well, there you are, you two, Platform nine - platform ten. Your platform should be somehwere in the middle, but they don't seem to have built it yet, do they?"

"Well, well, look who ate a bowl full of smartios!" cheered Kalilina, sarcastically. "But you're forgetting, my dear not-really Uncle Vernon. We're _magic_. So obviously, we aren't getting onto platform nine and three-quarters the normal way."

Uncle Vernon's nasty grin widened and Kalilina flinched. "Then tell me, idiot girl, how do you get to this - this platform nine and three-quarters."

Kalilina paled. "Well - um - that's - easy!" she squeaked. "You just - um - say - um.."

Uncle Vernon cackled and if you were close enough to Kalilina, you could hear her slightly whimper.

"Have a good term," said Uncle Vernon, grinning the nastiest smile that was possible. He left without say anything else. Harry and Kalilina watched as the Dursleys drove away, all three of them laughing.

"Harry," said Kalilina, almost whining. "What if - blimey, can't believe I'm even thinking this - what if we don't get to Hogwarts? I don't want to be here with the Dursleys!"

Harry put his hand on her shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Calm down, Kali. We're getting onto that train, okay?"

Kalilina grinned. They both looked at the large clock in the train station to see there was only ten minutes left. Kalilina took deep breaths, trying not to freak.

Now, if you knew Kalilina, you knew she wasn't really terrified of anything (save for rats and storms). She could take beatings for Uncle Vernon, being punched and smacked by Dudley and his gang, all that, and not be terrified. In fact, half, hell, not even half, most of the times, she would fight back. Today, she wasn't acting like herself. She was panicking, and when she panicked, she flipped out on people.

As they stood there, standing hopelessly, a group of people passed them.

"-packed with Muggles, of course -"

Kalilina spun around, eyes wide. She knew the word Muggle! Maybe these folk could help her and Harry get to Platform nine and three-quarters!

The speaker was a plump woman talking to four boys, all sporting flaming red hair. Each of them were pushing trunks - and they had _owls_.

Things just keep getting better and better, now don't they?

Kalilina pushed her cart quickly after them, Harry not too far behind. When the group stopped, so did Harry and Kalilina, but not too close to seem creepy.

"Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother.

"Nine and three-quarters! piped up a small girl, who was just as redhead as her mother and brothers, next to the plump woman. "Mum, can't I go -?"

"Next year, Ginny. Next year. Now hush up. Percy, you first."

The oldest looking boy marched toward platforms nine and ten.

"I bet you, he's going to run straight into the wall," snickered Kalilina. Just as the boy started running, a group of tourists passed by. When they cleared, the boy was no where to be found.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy. "Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you _tell_ I'm George?"

"Sorry, George, dear."

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy. The plump woman started angrily cursing under her breath as the boy's twin followed his twin's actions.

"Alright, that's it," said Harry. He pushed his cart to the plump woman. "Exuse me,"

Kalilina pulled up next to Harry, looking at the plump woman.

"Hello, dear," she said. "First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too."

She pointed to the last and obviously youngest of her sons. He was tall, thing, and gangling, with freckles just about everywhere, big hands and feet, and a long nose. Kalilina smiled sheepishly and waved at the boy. One more person boarding the 'New-At-Hogwarts' train. The boy smiled slightly and waved back.

"Yeah, it's our first time at Hogwarts," said Kalilina, answering the woman's previous question. "But we don't - um, well - we don't know how to -"

"How to get on the platform?" she said, kindly, and Harry and Kalilina nodded in sync.

"Not to worry," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crsh into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, you two go before Ron."

"Er - um, okay," said Kalilina. "Thanks, Miss."

"No problem, dear." smiled the woman. Kalilina gave Harry a look basically meaning 'If I don't make it, kill the Dursleys for me'. He nodded and she focused her attention back onto the barrier. She let out a huge breath and started running, closing her eyes. When she heard a sound of a train, her eyes snapped open. She was no longer with Harry, the woman, or Ron. She was on a whole other platform, full of more people. In front of her was a scarlet train, puffing out smoke. A child ran past her yelling, "Hogwarts Express!" with their parents right behind them. Kalilina was snapped out of her trance when something crashed against her. It was Harry.

"Harry!" she said. "You made it!"

"So did you, apparently!" said Harry. "Unless we're dead and this is where witches and wizards go when they die..."

They both laughed and pushed their carts through the bustling train station. Kalilina looked around at everything. Her eyes locked on platinum blond hair. And a sneer made its way onto her face as she saw who it was.

The boy from Madam Malkin's.

He caught sight of her too, and did something unthinkable.

He _winked_.

Kalilina stared at him, flabbergasted, as he smirked and made his way onto the scarlet train.

"Kali, come on," said Harry, nudging her. Kalilina blinked a few times and followed Harry onto the train. They traveled through the train, trying to find an empty compartment. They came across many that were too full, and began to lose hope. Finally, they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. They tried to bring their things on the train, but it was too heavy for the both of them.

"Want a hand?"

Kalilina shrieked and dropped her heavy trunk onto her self. She groaned and struggled to breath. Someone lifted the trunk off of her, and helped her up. She realized it was one of the redhead twins who they had followed through the barrier.

"Thanks for the heartattack and pain," Kalilina panted. "Really needed that."

The redhead chuckled.

"But yes, we need help, please," Harry panted.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"

With the twins' help, their things were at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his hair from his forehead.

"If it weren't for you two, we wouldnt've gotten our things on here," said Kalilina, pushing her bangs back, which stuck to her forehead due to the sweat that had built up.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Kalilina's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you -?"

"They _are_," said the first twin. "Aren't you two?" he added to Kalilina and Harry.

"What are we talking about?" asked Kalilina, confused.

"_Kalilina Black and Harry Potter_," chorused the twins.

"Oh, her, yeah, she's supposedly on this train," Kalilina said. "You wouldn't have seen her, have you?"

The two boys chuckled as Kalilina grinned slightly.

"But yeah, I am Harry Potter," said Harry. Kalilina put a hand in his face, signaling him to stop.

"Harry, stop acting like you're some _celebrity _or something. I mean, jeez, you defeat one dark wizard and you think you're the bloody boy who lived or something!" said Kalilina.

Harry shook his head as the twins laughed.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mum."

With a last look at Harry and Kalilina, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry and Kalilina sat down next to the window where, half-hidden, they could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to move away, but his mother seized him and began vigorously rubbing the end of his nose. Kalilina couldn't help but giggle.

"_Mum _- stop, we're in public, geroff." He wriggled free from her grip.

"Aah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said one of the twins.

"Shut up," grumbled Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

Just at that moment, the oldest looking red-head son came up to the family, sporting a red-and-gold badge with a letter _P _on it.

"Can't stay too long, Mother," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves -"

"Oh, are you a _prefect_, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something about it, we didn't have a clue."

"Hang on, wait, I think he mentioned it," said the other twin. "Once -"

"Or twice-"

"A minute-"

"Maybe all summer-"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Perfect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a _prefect_," said their mother fondly. "All right dear, have a good term - send me an owl when you get there."

She gave Percy a kiss on the cheek, and he left. Then she turned to the twins with almost a stern look on her face.

"Now you two - _please _behave this year. If I get an owl telling me you've blown up and toilet or -"

"Blown up a toilet?" "We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea, though." "Thanks, Mum."

"_It's not funny. _And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, we'll make sure ickle Ronniekins is safe and sound."

"Shut up," Ron grumbled again. Kalilina couldn't help but notice how tall Ron was. He was almost as tall as the twins. Kalilina knew for sure that she was taller than Harry, but she _definitely _knew she was shorter than Ron.

"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Both Kalilina and Harry leaned back on instinct.

"You know that black-haired boy and girl who was near us in the station? Know who they are?"

"Who?"

"_Harry Potter and Kalilina Black!_"

Kalilina heard the little girl's voice.

"Oh, Mum, please oh please can I go on the train to see them?"

"No, you've already seen them, Ginny, and they aren't something you goggle at in a zoo. Are they really, Fred? How do you know?"

"Asked them. Saw their scars. It's really there - like lightning."

"Poor _dears_ - no wonder they were by themselves. They were ever so polite when they asked how to get on the platform."

Kalilina smirked at this, ruffling her hair, and popping her imaginary collar. Harry snorted, quietly.

"Never mind that, do you think they remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother's face became stern.

"I forbid you to ask them, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though they need reminding of that fateful night."

"All right, keep your hair on."

Kalilina and Harry burst into silent laughter when their mother smacked Fred up side the head. A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" said their mother, as the three boys clambered onto the crowded train. They leaned out the window for her to kiss them good-bye, much to their embarrassment, and the little girl began to sob.

"It's okay, Ginny. We'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"_George..._"

"Calm down, Mum. I'm only joking!"

The train started to move. Harry saw the boys' mother waving. The little girl, who still had tears running down her face, ran to keep up with the train. When it became too fast, she stopped and continued to wave.

Kalilina watched as numerous houses passed. She felt giddy. For one, she was leaving the evil Dursleys, and two, she was magic. And to top it all, she was the bloody girl who lived. The compartment was silent, Harry and Kalilina were too in their thoughts. Their train of thoughts were broken by the youngest red-headed boy opening the compartment door.

"Anyone else sitting there?" he asked, pointing to the seat opposite of Harry and Kalilina. "Everywhere else is full."

"You can sit down, we're bit loners, company would be great," grinned Kalilina. The boy smiled sheepishly and sat down. The twin boys, who Kalilina and Harry had learned were Fred and George Weasley, told Ron where they were going to be. They left and that left Harry, Kalilina and Ron.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out. "And you're really Kalilina Black?"

Harry nodded.

"I am. Atleast...I think so..." said Kalilina, traveling off uncertainly. Harry rolled his eyes and elbowed her in the ribcage. "Ow! Yeah, I'm Kalilina Black. Blimey, Harry. I think its bruised!"

"Oh - well. I thought Fred and George were just joking," said Ron. "And you two really have the - y'know..."

Kalilina and Harry both lifted up their bangs and revealed their identical lightning scars. Ron let out a gasp.

"So that's where You-Know-Who -?"

"Yeah," answered Kalilina. "but I can't remember it. Can you, Harry?"

Harry shook his head.

"Nothing? Are you sure?" said Ron eagerly.

"Calm down, kid," said Kalilina. "it's just a bit of green light, really. Nothing exciting."

Ron looked a bit crestfallen.

The three chatted, ate the food off the trolley - that Harry and Kalilina had paid for - and just had a good time. Kalilina looked at a pack of Chocolate Frogs, feeling a bit scared. I mean, Chocolate _Frogs_? Were frogs even etible?

"Um, these aren't _really _frogs, are they?" asked Kalilina, uneasily. "I mean, I'm pretty sure that they don't digest properly."

Ron chuckled. "No, but check the card,"

"The card -?" Harry was cut off by Ron.

"Oh, right, forgot. Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect - famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Polemy."

'_Yep, everything in the wizarding world sounds like a disease_,' thought Kalilina.

'_For once, I agree with you_' thought Harry. Kalilina opened her Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. On the card was a big man with a reddish beard. Underneath the picture read the name, _Godric Gryffindor_.

"Oooh, cool," said Kalilina. "Godric Gryffindor is - was? - the founder of Hogwarts, right?"

"Yeah," said Ron. "He was once was Head of House for Gryffindor. I got too much of him - what do you have, Harry?"

"So _this _is Dumbledore!" said Harry, in amazement. Kalilina snatched the card out of Harry's hands.

The man wore half-moon glasses, had a long, crooked nose, and flowing silver hair, beard and mustache.

"Whoa, I know who Dumbledore is now!" gasped Kalilina.

"Don't tell me you two haven't heard of Dumbledore!" said Ron. "Can I have a frog? I might get Agrippa - thanks, Kalilina -"

Harry snatched back his card from Kalilina and turned it over and read:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE - Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.

He turned his card back over and saw Dumbledore had disappeared.

"He's gone!"

"Well he can't expect him to stay around all day," said Ron, stuffing another chocolate frog into his mouth. Kalilina looked at her card, as well and saw Godric Gryffindor had left too.

"That's rude. Maybe I wanted to talk to him or something!" she huffed. The two boys laughed at her and soon she joined in as well.

"Hey, do you want to see me turn Scabbers yellow?" asked Ron suddenly. Kalilina, who had been leaning on Harry, sat up quickly, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Yeah!" said Kalilina and Harry. Ron cleared his throat and held up his wand, about to say something. The compartment door was slid open again and a girl stood there.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. The girl had a bossy sort of voice, a mane of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"No," all three of them said at once. But it seemed as though she didn't hear.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

Ron cleared his throat again. But this time, Kalilina interuppted him.

"I'm sorry -" said Kalilina, not really sorry at all. "but why the _hell _are you asking to see a spell if you're searching for a lost toad. Nevermind that, just had to ask that. Anyway, carry on Ron."

"Er - all right."

He cleared his throat for the third time.

"_Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,_

Turn this stupid fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" asked the girl. "Well it's not very good is it?"

She came and sat next to Ron, who looked a bit uneasy at her presence.

"I've tried a few simple spells myself," she said proudly. "And they've all waorked for me."

She stuck her wand in front of Harry's face. Kalilina twitched. She didn't trust this girl. Who knows what she could do to Harry.

"For example, _Oculus Repairo_."

Everyone watched as Harry's glasses were fixed.

'_How the hell did she do that_?' thought Kalilina.

'_I'm thinking the same thing._' Harry thought back.

"Blimey! You're Harry Potter - and you're Kalilina Black!"

"The one and only," smirked Kalilina. The girl gave her a look, but Kalilina ignored it.

"_I'm _Hermione Granger." the girl said. "And you are?" She turned her gaze upon Ron.

"Ron Weasley," he mumbled through a mouth full of sweets. Hermione gave him a disgusting look and spit out, "Pleasure."

She turned her gaze back on Kalilina and Harry.

"Well you should be getting your robes on, I expect we'll be arriving at Hogwarts, soon," she said and got up. She was almost out the compartment, much to Kalilina and Ron's happiness, when she stopped.

"You have dirt on your nose," she said to Ron, "did you know?"

She stuck her nose up in the air and walked out the compartment. The three had the same thought as Hermione Granger left.

She'll be a pain in the arse.

After the three had changed - Kalilina needing help with her robes - they sat back down, waiting to get to Hogwarts.

"Do you know what house you'll be in?" asked Ron. Harry and Kalilina looked at each other in confusion before looking back at Ron.

"No," they said in sync. Ron then explained the 4 Houses; Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The Ron started to explain Quidditch. But the compartment slid open once more. Three boys stood in the doorway. Kalilina frowned upon seeing one of them. _Again_.

The boy from Madam Malkin's.

"Is it true?" the pale boy asked. "They're all saying all down the train that Harry Potter and Kalilina Black's in this compartment. So it's you two, is it?"

"In the flesh," said both Harry and Kalilina at once. They had identical smirks on their faces. One that could rival the one on the pale boys faces.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the boy, drawling. "And my name's Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

"At least now I've got a name to match the ugly face," smirked Kalilina. Draco scowled at her.

"You're definitely not a beauty either," said Draco, sneering. Kalilina raised an eyebrow.

"Tell that to most boys at my primary school. Number 1 most wanted girl, Malfoy." said Kalilina, smirking even wider now. Ron hid a snigger behind a cough. This did not go unoticed by Draco, and quickly snapped his head at the red-head.

"Think that was funny, do you?" Draco snapped. Ron slightly turned pink in the ears, but said nothing. He looked to Kalilina and Harry.

"You'll soon find out that same wizarding families are better than other, Potter. Black. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out a hand, but Harry nor Kalilina took it.

"I think we can tell who the wrong sort are for our selves, thanks," Harry replied coolly.

Draco didn't go red, but his cheeks turned a faint pink.

"I'd be careful if I were you two," he said slowly. "Unless you're bit politer you'll go the same as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them either. You hang around with riff raff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."

Harry, Ron and Kalilina stood up.

"Repeat that again, Malfoy," spat Kalilina, her eyes turning a deep blue. Draco looked amused.

"Are you going to fight us?" he asked, sarcasm lacing his voice.

"_I _have every intent to," said Kalilina. She didn't know about Harry or Ron, but she did know that she was going to kick Malfoy's arse so bad that his future children would feel it.

"Well, come on, then," smirked Draco. Crabbe and Goyle ganged up on Kalilina, cracking their knuckles.

"Oh, come on, boys, wouldn't want to hurt a girl now would we?" she asked in a sweet voice. They slightly faltered and Kalilina took that as her chance. She grabbed Goyle by the shoulders, and kneed him right where it hurt. While he laid moaning in pain, Crabbe inched his way towards her. She raised and eyebrow, and punched him right in the jaw. She body slammed up against the wall outside the compartment. She knocked his head against the wall and he fell down, clutching his head tightly. She hotly turned to Malfoy. By this time, Malfoy looked even paler than usual. She grabbed a handful of his hair and slammed him against the same wall as Crabbe. She grabbed his arms and turned them in a way they weren't supposed to be turned.

"Now listen here, _Malfoy_," she spit his name out as though it was poison. "You don't talk about Ron or his family like that. You don't talk about my family nor Harry's. Or else we're going to have a problem. Got that?"

Malfoy nodded, hissing in pain. She released him and he fell to the ground. Crabbe and Goyle got up, painfully and followed after their 'leader'.

"Oh and, Malfoy!" she called after him. He turned around hesistantly. "I told you that the next time I'd see you, I'd kill you with my bare hands. Got pretty close, didn't I?" He turned around quickly and nearly sprinted down the corridor. Kalilina smirked evily and walked back into the compartment. Ron stared, unable to form words. Harry, however, looked amused. He'd seen Kalilina do stuff like this before, it was nothing new. Ron gave Kalilina a great bear hug. And as Kalilina had assumed, Ron was taller than her.

"That was brillant! Absolutely brilliant!" cheered Ron. "Now I know who to go to if Malfoy's being a git."

"Yep. I'll take care of Malfoy for you, no worries." said Kalilina, ruffling Ron's hair.

Moments later, Hermione Granger came back to their compartment.

"Has their been fighting?" she asked, surveying the compartment.

"Actually, yes," said Kalilina, crossing her arms. This seemed to heat Hermione up.

"We aren't even at school yet and you three are creating havoc!" she screeched, her voice becoming shrill.

"Look; its _our _problem if we get in trouble, alright? Now just stay the fuck out of our business and keep your prudeness away from us." snapped Kalilina, her eyes starting to turn deep blue again. Hermione looked shocked as Ron high-fived her.

"Fine," snapped Hermione. "Have it your way. Don't say I didn't warn you."

She huffed and stomped out. Kalilina plopped down on the seat and smirked.

Watch out, Hogwarts. Trouble's coming and her name is Kalilina Black.

They finally had arrived at Hogwarts and Kalilina's nerves were kicking in. Harry, Kalilina and Ron got out onto the Platform of the town of Hogsmeade. Children of all ages were leaving the train. All thee walked were kids their age were going. Up ahead, Kalilina and Harry saw a familiar man.

"Hey, Hagrid," they said at the both time. The giant man looked at the two 11 year olds, smiling.

"Hello, Harry. Kalilina," he said.

"Firs' years! Firs' years! Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

As they walked the path, Kalilina felt herself being tugged away from Harry and Ron. Soon, she wasn't even with the other first years. She ripped her robe from the person and hissed at who it was.

Draco bloody Malfoy.

"What, Malfoy?" she snapped. He smirked.

"It's a shame that you don't like me all too well," he said. "Because I assure you; we'd be infinite."

Kalilina gagged. "I'd never be with you, Malfoy. Never in a million years."

"Such a pity," tsked Draco. Kalilina stared at him, confused and frustrated. He smirked and leaned into her face. She didn't know what to do. He kissed her cheek, and walked off, as though nothing happened. Kalilina shook her head, vigorously wiping her cheek. As she walked the narrow path, she found herself with a magnificent sight.

A castle was perched onto a high mountain, looking gorgeous as ever. Kalilina was so entranced in the beauty, she did not notice that there was laughter. She blinked and saw Draco Malfoy, a girl with short choppy black hair, a boy who obviously looked of Italian descent, and the two goons, Crabbe and Goyle, on the last boat going to Hogwarts.

She had missed the boat ride!

She looked warily into the dark Black Lake.

'_Who knows. Maybe I can swim all the way there_.' she thought to herself. She shrugged and dived into the deep water. She couldn't see a thing and she was terrified some huge animal would just come and swallow her whole. She swam up for air and gasped. She was maybe a quarter of the way there. She then felt something huge and slimy wrap around her wasit. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she was lifted out of the water. She looked to her captor and saw it was a huge Giant Squid. Kalilina let out another screech. However, the squid did not throw her into its mouth. It instead sunk back into the water and started swimming to Hogwarts. Kalilina couldn't believe it. While the others were taking boats into Hogwarts, she took a ride with a giant squid! Kalilina squealed with laughter as the squid swam. She held her arms out, like Rose did on the Titanic, and laughed. Soon, they reached the cliff, the Squid put Kalilina inside the ivy. Kalilina poked her head back out the ivy and yelled out, "Thank you, Mr. Squid!"

Kalilina walked through the shallow water to the group of students.

"Has anyone seen Miss Black -?" Hagrid was cut off.

"No need to worry about that," said Kalilina, drawing everyone's attention to her. Kalilina laughed as Ron and Harry gave her a hug.

"You had us worried, Kali - why are you wet?" asked Harry. Kalilina laughed at how dirty that was. Harry caught on and smacked her on the side of the head.

"So, are you going to tell why you're soaking?" asked Ron eagerly. Kalilina grinned and said, "Let's just say...I have a new friend."

She said nothing more, which confused Harry and Ron even more. Hagrid looked greatly relieved and knocked on the doors. Kalilina spotted Malfoy, who looked crestfallen. She creeped up behind him and whispered in his ear.

"Better watch it, Malfoy." she whispered. "Next time, I _will _succeed in killing you with my bare hands."

She watched as he shivered and she couldn't help but smirk.

Oh yes, torturing Draco Malfoy would be the highlight of her year.


	6. Kalilina Black has arrived to Hogwarts!

After Hagrid had knocked on the doors, the doors opened at once. A tall and strict looking witch with beautiful dark emerald green robes stood there, as though she was waiting for them. Which, she probably was.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. McGonagall's eyes searched across the crowd, the settled on Kalilina for me, obviously noting how the girl was wet. Kalilina smiled and waved sheepishly. McGonagall took her eyes away from Kalilina, and faced them back on Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

The group followed McGonagall until they reached a empty chamber off the hall where voices could be heard.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your House; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin..."

By this time, Kalilina wasn't even paying attention. Instead, she decided to search inside people's minds and fuck with them a little. She snuck into Ron's first.

_' I bloody hope I don't get into Slytherin. Or Hufflepuff. I hope Fred was lying about fighting a troll._' thought Ron, nervously. Kalilina chuckled and snuck into other people's minds. Seemed like everyone was nervous. Just like her. At least she wasn't the only one.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

With that, Professor McGonagall turned and left the chamber. Now Kalilina was starting to fidget.

"Anyone else nervous?" asked Ron. Kalilina laughed dryly.

"_Nervous_? That's the understetment of the century! I'm bloody terrified!" she squeaked. Harry seemed a bit uneasy to. Kalilina eyed his hair, constantly.

"Why do you keep doing that?" snapped Harry.

"Doing what?" asked Kalilina. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Eyeing my hair, its creepy." he said, slightly moving away from her. Kalilina huffed. She pulled out a comb from her robe.

"Come here, Harry," she said, grinning. "Come on - Harry! - bloody - hell - keep - still - don't yell 'ow!' - you're the one moving! Now stop it - before - before I hurt you like I did Malfoy!"

That seemed to keep Harry still. Kalilina smiled triumphantly and proceeded to tame Harry's wild mane. When she couldn't do much of anything else with his hair, she gave up.

"I'm fighting a losing battle!" she huffed, stuffing her comb back into her robe. The group of first years talked amongst themselves, not talking too loud or too soft. But it went silent for a moment when a loud weird sound was heard. It came from a girl. That same girl who had been on the boat with Malfoy and the others.

"Oi! Shut up, will ya?" said Kalilina. The girl turned to her and narrowed her eyes. She stalked over to her and stood in front of her.

"Who do you think you are?" snapped the girl. Kalilina smirked.

"Obviously someone who is better than you," said Kalilina, nonchalantly. Some of the first years 'oooh' ed. The girl glared at Kalilina.

"You better watch your back," hissed the girl. Kalilina laughed and shrugged.

"Whatever," she said, turning around preparing to walk away from the girl, but then she turned back around.

"Oh and tell your boyfriend to keep his lips on _your _cheek, okay? Thanks, greatly appreciated."

Kalilina watched as the girl stomped back over to Malfoy and started bombarding him with questions. You could tell that Malfoy was angry. But honestly, that's what Kalilina wanted.

Harry chuckled at Kalilina. "That's lovely, Kalilina. You're already making enemies before term starts."

"Oh, shut it, Potter," said Kalilina. "You knew it was going to happen. People can't handle my bitchiness and sarcasm or I just can't handle them being rude, annoying, bitchy or whiny. As you can see, Harry, its a surprise I even have you and Ron as friends."

Harry and Ron gave each other a look, before turning back to face Kalilina, nodding. "That is true."

"Exactly."

At that moment, Professor McGonagall had returned.

"Form a line," she ordered, "and follow me."

There was a rush to get in a single straight line and Kalilina ended up in front of Harry and behind Ron, fortunately. Had it been Granger, Malfoy, or that other girl, she would've caused some trouble. The line walked out the chamber, back across the hall, and through the doors of the Great Hall. Not one face was un-amazed. The group of fist years looked around at the Great Hall.

"The ceiling is bewitched to look like the sky outside," said Hermione Granger. "I read it in Hogwarts: A History."

"Oh, shut up, already!" groaned Kalilina. Ron laughed in front of her. The first years were directed to stand at the bottom of the steps. Kalilina looked around the hall, noticing so many faces. She at first thought they were looking at her - but then she realized they were looking at the hat on the stool at the top of the stairs.

"Um, is it going to pop out rabbits or..." Kalilina whispered, traveling off uncertaintly. Ron gave her a weary look, as did Harry. The hat sat still for a moment then twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide as though it was a mouth - and the hat began to belt out:

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can top them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart._

_Their daring, nerve, and chivarly_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might beling in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind._

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I am a Thinking Cap!"_

Everyone in the hall burst into applause when the hat finished its song. The hat bowed and then became still as when they first arrived.

"So we've got to just try on the hat!" Ron whispered. "I'll kill Fred, he said I had to wrestle a troll!"

"Thank the heavens we didn't have to take down the troll," gasped Kalilina. "I can barely take down Dudley, how the hell would I have beat the troll?"

Harry only seemed to get this, and both he and Kalilina started laughing. Ron sat there, confused.

"We'll explain later," Kalilina waved it off. Ron nodded and all three of them focused back on the front.

Professor stood next to the stool with a long roll of parchment in her hand.

"When I call your name, you will come up and be sorted," she said. "Abbot, Hannah!"

A blonde girl with pigtails tumbled out of the line. Kalilina had a strange urge to pull those pigtails. Just like she had done with Caroline Maxwell is primary school. Good times. Good times.

The girl sat on the stool, the hat was placed on her head - it fell over her eyes - and she along with everyone else waited. After a moment's pause -

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called out.

The table with yellow and black robes on cheered as Hannah sat down at their table. Hufflepuff looked friendly. Maybe _too _friendly, though...

"Bones, Susan!"

"Hufflepuff!"

Again, Susan was cheered for when she shuffled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"Ravenclaw!"

This time, the table with blue and bronze robes on cheered as Terry sat down with them.

"Black, Kalilina!"

Kalilina froze for a moment before she was shoved by both Ron and Harry. There were whispers amongst the hall as she walked up. She sat nervously on the stool and the hat was placed on her head. It fell right over eyes.

'_Hello, Ms. Black,_' said a voice in her ear. She had an urge to scream, but knew she was being watched, so didn't.

_'Hello, Mysterious talking Sorting Hat_' said Kalilina, as politley as she could.

'_What house should I put you in...Ravenclaw? Not enough wit or intelligence...Hufflepuff? Oh, heavens, no! You're way to cunning for that..._'

Kalilina was glad the hat was covering her eyes because her eyes went as wide as saucers. As she remembered correctly, 'cunning' was a trait of the Slytherin house, yes?

'_Don't you even **dare** __try putting me into that house,' _she demanded.

'_Miss Black, in Slytherin, you would achieve many great things...great, great things._' said the hat. By this time, Kalilina just wanted this to be over with.

'_We know damn fucking well that I'm not going in Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and - no matter what you think - SLYTHERIN. There's only one house left,_' said Kalilina, hoping the hat would catch on.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

There was applause from the table with deep red and gold robes, as Kalilina sat down. She had been the first Gryffindor! That had to be worth something. Kalilina gave Harry and Ron comforting smiles that were telling them that their sorting would go well.

As the names were called, Kalilina grew more anxious. Malfoy had gotten Slytherin. At least he had gotten his wish. His little girlfriend got in too. Kalilina learned her name was Pansy Parkinson. Kalilina vowed to call her Pugsy Pugyson.

At last, Harry was called. Just as with Kalilina, whispers were heard as Harry sat down on the stool. Kalilina wish that she could hear what was happening. Harry was clenching the sides of the stool. After minutes, like with Kalilina, the hat called out:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Kalilina cheered along with the rest of her house.

"WE GOT POTTER AND BLACK! TAKE THAT SLYTHERGITS!" Fred and George Weasley yelled. Some Slytherins glared back. Kalilina grabbed Harry into a tight hug.

"I told you your Sorting would go well," she whispered to him, grinning. Harry smirked and said,

"But you aren't really reliable. You're known to lie, Kalilina."

Kalilina whacked him across the head and stuck her tongue out. The names continued to be called.

"Weasley, Ronald!"

Ron nervously sat down on the stool, where the hat did not fall over his eyes like the others.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ron visibly relieved and made his way to the now cheering table of Gryffindors.

"Well look at that, we're all in the same House!" said Ron. They high-fived each other.

The Sorting ended with Blaise Zabini going to Slytherin. Albus Dumbledore stood in front of the whole hall, seeming greatly pleased.  
"Welcome!" he boomed. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Everyone else cheered while Harry and Kalilina looked at each other, confused.

"That made total sense," grumbled Kalilina, sarcastically.

"I really understood that," said Harry, sarcastically as well. "Is he a bit mad?"

"Mad?" said Percy. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Pototaes, anyone?"

Kalilina was about to ask where they were going to get potatoes from, when she noticed that food that had appeared on the table. She gawked at all the delicious foods: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and - for some crazy reason - peppermint humbugs.

"Are you going to eye the food, or actually eat it?" teased Harry. She shot him a look and dug in. She had a huge pile on her plate and she had every intent on eating it all. Ron had been eating for 5 minutes already, and was trying to dump another pile onto his plate.

"Got enough food on there, Ron?" asked Kalilina, through a mouth full of food. Ron rolled his eyes.

"You can't be talking, Kalilina, look at your plate," Ron accused, pointing his chicken wing at her. "And you're supposed to be a girl!"

"Oi! Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't have an appetite like a boy!" snapped Kalilina. Suddenly, she got an idea. "Why don't we see who can eat the most? If I win, you have to...to...um, run around with only your boxers on!"

Ron turned a little pink in the ears, but he coughed and said, "And if _I _win?"

"You can choose to do whatever you want," she replied. "Deal?"

Ron took her outstretched hand and said, "Deal."

With that, they took off. Ron basically inhaled everything. Kalilina was going fast, but not as fast as Ron. Ron looked a little green by his third pile of food. But Kalilina showed no signs of giving up. When Kalilina reached her 4th plate, Ron couldn't any more.

"I - give up," he said. He looked rather sick. Kalilina thrusted her fist in the air.

"You have to run around with you boxers on, now," said Kalilina, cheekily. Ron rolled his eyes and grumbled.

"Nice one, Kalilina!" cheered a Scottish boy named Seamus Finnigan.

"Got beat by a girl, Ron!" laughed Dean Thomas. Fred and George gawked at Kalilina.

"I've never -" "Seen -" "Anyone -" "_Anyone _-" eat -" more than -" Ron."

"Okay, shut up, about it," grumbled Ron, as the food disappeared. Dessert appeared on the tables, and Kalilina dug in.

"Wow!" breathed Harry. "I've never seen you eat this much!"

"Because, Harry. We're basically starved at the Dursleys, so this is making up for 11 years!" said Kalilina. "You should eat something, Harry. Look at you, so skinny!"

Harry nudged Kalilina but knew it wouldn't hurt to try. He dug into his dessert like Kalilina had done. Kalilina looked up to the Head Table, where she saw many familair faces. She saw Hagrid - whom she waved to, happily - Professor McGonagall, Quirrell - but she saw one teacher whom she had not seen before. The man looked straight at Kalilina.

"Ah!" hissed Kalilina, her hand shooting up to her scar. It seemed as though the same thing had happened to Harry, because he held his forehead too.

"Are you okay?" asked Ron.

"Y-yeah. Just peachy," replied Kalilina.

The pain subsided quickly. Somehow, Kalilina felt like that teacher did not like her at all.

"You scar hurt, too?" whispered Harry into her ear. Kalilina nodded.

"Why, though?" Kalilina whispered back. Harry shrugged back in reply.

"Who's that talking to Professor Quirrell?" Kalilina asked Percy.

"Oh, you know Quirrel, do you? No wonder he looks more nervous than usual - that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions but we all know he wants Quirrel's job. He knows an awful lot about it, Snape."

Kalilina kept glancing at Snape for a bit, but stopped once she knew he would no longer return her looks. When Dumbledore stood up again - and the desserts had disappeared - the hall fell dead silent. Dumbledore went over the rules, which Kalilina could not bother to listen to, becuase she knew that she would somehow end up breaking them all anyway. Then he told everyone to pick a tune and sing the Hogwarts song:

_"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please,_

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees,_

_Our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluf,_

_So teach us things woth knowing,_

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot."_

Kalilina and the twins were the last ones to finish. Kalilina had sung it with a lovey dovey tune and the twins with the sound of a funeral march. Dumbledore sent everyone off to bed.

The first followed Percy through the corridors, and up the marble staircase. Kalilina got tired half-way there, Harry had to piggy back her the rest of the way. The things he does for her...

At the very end of the last corridor they walked through, hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said.

"Caput Draconis," said Percy, and the portrait swung open to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it - some helping Neville up - and found themselves in the Gryffindor common room, a coxy, round room full of squahy armchairs.

Percy directed which way the girls dormitories were and where the boys dormitories were. Kalilina hopped of Harry's back.

"Night, boys," said Kalilina. She kissed both of their cheeks and trudged up the stairs to her new dorm. Kalilina was the first to chose her bed, which she wanted near the window. She saw that her trunk was there and that Starshine was still in her cage.

"Hi Starshine," she cooed. "Did you miss mama? Yes? Mama missed you too!"

She set Starshine on her bed, and opened her trunk, grabbing her dingy pajamas. She walked into the bathroom, to which unfortunately, they had to share. She changed and tied her hair up.

"Maybe we should all get to know each other!" squealed one girl.

"How about fucking no," responded Kalilina. "I'm going to bed."

She plopped onto her bed, placing Starshine on her belly. She was about to close her curtains when she stopped mid-way.

"Oh and, I like my sleep. If anyone dares to wake me up, it'll be the last day you ever see light. Got it?"

Without seeing if anyone responded, she closed her curtains. Hopefully, they took her warning seriously.

As she drifted off into a deep sleep, she had a smile on her face.

_She was at Hogwarts. Where she belonged._

* * *

**Chapter 6, yo! How do ya like it?I'm terribly sorry about not updating in a few. Terribly, terribly sorry. But managing school and fanfiction is definitely not easy. So, please bare with me. c:**

**Reviews are wanted more than Voldemort wants to kill Harry. :D**


	7. Double Potions and Tea with Hagrid

"There, look!"

"I told Laurence it was actually them! He owes me three sickles!"

"What is all the commotion?"

"_Harry Potter and Kalilina Black_!"

"No, really, stop messing around."

"No joke! It really is them! Look!"

"Where?"

"Next to that tall redhead boy."

"I think I'm going to die of happiness now."

As Kalilina Harry and Ron walked out of the common room and to their classes on the first day, no one, absolutely no one, was not whispering or staring at the famous pair. Kalilina honestly didn't mind, but it irked her when she was trying to get to her first day of classes and these knuckleheads were preventing her from doing so.

There were so many bloody staircases! Kalilina had fell so many times, it wasn't even laughable anymore. Peeves didn't help them on the way to their classes either. He got a big whack from Kalilina for scaring her half to death. Ghosts weren't helpful either. They popped out of the door you were going to open. And the three had some how managed to get on Agrus Filch's, the caretaker's, bad side. He had not believed that they were lost and trying to get to class. He was in the middle of threatening them when Professor Quirrell saved them from Filch's wrath.

They had to study night skies through telescopes every Wednesday at Midnight and learn things about constellations and the movement of the stars. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses to study Herbology with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, learning about all types of plants and things.

The most boring clas _had _to be History of Magic. It was taught by Professor Binns, a ghost. Apparently, he had died when he fell asleep next to a fire in the staffroom. When he woke up, he didn't even know he was a ghost, and went back to his classroom where he continued to teach. They learned about all sorts of dates - which half of them probably wouldn't even remember. Kalilina had herself a good nap in History of Magic.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand atop of a stack of books. He was so excited to see both Kalilina and Harry in his class, he toppled from the stack with a squeak and remained there for a bit.

Professor McGonagall was different then all the others. She was a teacher you never wanted to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. Many of them were excited to do the same, but realized, that wouldn't happen for a while. After taking soem notes, they were to try to turn a match into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Kalilina and Hermione had progressed; Professor McGonagall gave the two a rare smile and awarded them both 5 points.

The class everyone was itching for had been Defense Against the Dark Arts, DADA for short, but it turned out a bust. Quirrell's classroom smelled heavily of garlic and he barely talked about anything interesting before turning to another subject.

Friday was an important day for Harry, Ron and Kalilina. They had finally managed to get to the Great Hall without getting lost once. Kalilina announced this to the whole Great Hall, just to show off.

"What's on the agenda, today, boys?" asked Kalilina, taking a spoonful of porridge into her mouth.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," answered Ron. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he favors his house - we'll find out if that's true or not."

"Wish McGonagall favored us," pouted Kalilina.

"Oh no, she favors _us_, not you." smirked Harry.

"How does she not favor me?!" exclaimed Kalilina.

"You've lost our house 10 points already _and _you've gotten put out her class _twice_!" said Harry. Kalilina narrowed her eyes at her best friend and smacked Ron, who had been laughing at her.

"I hate you, Harry," she grumbled.

"I love you too, Kali-kins!" sang Harry. If looks could kill, Harry would've been dead by now.

Just then, the mail arrived. A flurry of owls swooped in on their owners handing them letters and packages.

Hedwig - Harry's owl - swooped down in front of Harry and dropped a letter onto his plate. Kalilina loved her cat, Starshine, but she wished she had an owl like most students did. Harry tore open his letter, reading it.

"Oi, Potter. Are you going to give it to me or will I have to kill you to get it?" asked Kalilina, raising an eyebrow and holding out her hand expectantly. Harry rolled his eyes and threw the letter at her, catching her in the cheek. She glared at him - he grinned cheekily - and read the letter:

_Dear Harry and Kalilina,_

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an owl back with Hedwig._

_Hagrid_

"Welp." said Kalilina, handing the letter back to Harry. "Looks like we have plans this afternoon."

Harry wrote a quick response back to Hagrid and sent Hedwig off again.

It was lucky Kalilina and Harry had tea with Hagrid to look foward to, because they were just about to be put in a horrible mood.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder down there than up in the main castle, and would've been creep enought without the floating animal parts in jars all around the walls.

Snape had taken roll call and sneered on both Kalilina's and Harry's name.

"Ah,yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter. Kalilina Black. Our new - _celebrities_."

Draco Malfoy and his "friends" Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Once he finished roll call, Snape looked to the classroom. His eyes were dark, revealing no emotion, just darkness.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in a monotone voice, and like Professor McGonagall, kept everyone silent without any effort at all. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, beweitching the mind..ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

Hermione Granger and Kalilina were both determined to prove that they weren't dunderheads.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry stared back at Snape with a confused stare. Kalilina rolled her eyes and raised her hand gracefully in the air. Hermione shook her hand frantically, hoping she would be called on.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry.

Snape sneered.

"Tut, tut - clearly fame isn't everything."

He ignored both Hermione and Kalilina's hand.

"Let's try this again, Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Hermione stretched her hand high in the air as she could without standing up. Again, Harry stared back at Snape with a confused stare. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were shaking with laughter. Kalilina, since she was sitting right behind Malfoy, kicked the back of his chair. He spun around, scowling. Kalilina mouthed,

'Stop it or else I swear to Merlin, I'll hurt you even more than I did last time,'

He didn't say anything or even move a muscle, he just turned around. Kalilina smirked, thinking she had won.

"I don't know, sir."

"Didn't think to open a book before coming, Potter?"

Kalilina sneered at the man, obviously angry at how he was bashing on Harry.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this Hermione shot out of her chair, her hand stretching to the ceiling. Kalilina's hand was still raised.

"I don't know," replied Harry, slightly cold. "I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"

Kalilina had to laugh. She loved that Harry was no longer being that shy boy that hated confrontation and that he was starting to have more of a backbone.

"Sir!" snapped Kalilina, having enough. "I know the answers to the questions."

"Very well," sneered Snape. "What are they, Black?"

Obviously, Snape didn't think she knew it, but she was about to prove him wrong. "For your information, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite." she said, smirking.

It was obvious that Snape was shocked.

"Well? Why aren't you writing that down?" snapped Snape.

There was a commotion of rummaging for quills of parchment. Kalilina raised her hand once again, clearing her throat.

"Yes, Miss Black?" drawled Snape.

"I do believe my house deserves points for answering three of your questions." she said, as innocently as she could get.

Snape scowled and forced out, "Very well. Take 5 points for your house, Miss Black."

Kalilina smirked triumphantly. But Snape smirked as well. "But a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."

Kalilina gave Harry an apologetic look, to which he just shrugged.

Things did not improve for the Gryffindors the rest of the lesson. Snape had set them in pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. Unfortunately, Kalilina was paired with Granger. They didn't talk, but they managed to the potion slightly right. Snape criticized every one except Malfoy. He told everyone to look at the perect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when a dangerous hissing and acid green smoke filled the dungeon. Neville had managed to melt Seamus' cauldron into a blob, and their potion was seeping across the dungeon floors, burning holes in some students shoes. Neville whimpered in pain, angry red boils spreading across his face, arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the potion away with the flick of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville whimpered as boils kept appearing.

"Take him to the Hospital Wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You - Potter - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."

"Wow, you must really hate Gryffindors, don't you?" snapped Kalilina. "Just because you hate me and Harry does not mean you can unfairly take points from the whole House."

"Miss Black -" Kalilina cut him off.

"No, I'm not finished yet," spat Kalilina. "I'm sick and tired of you being a git! I don't know why you hate me and Harry, but you do, and I just wanted to let you know, it's bloody fucking mutual, bitch!"

The whole class was silent.

"Now if you'll excuse me. I have better places to be than here with you twats, so good day." Kalilina grabbed her things and stomped out, slamming the dungeon doors behind her.

An hour later, Harry and Ron raced out of the dungeons, looking for Kalilina. She had been waiting for them on the steps.

"That was brilliant!" breathed Ron as soon as they reached her. She smirked and shrugged.

"But you did lose us another 10 points, and earned yourself a detention." said Harry.

She sighed. "I'm sorry for losing the House points, guys. That git just got on my nerves."

Harry and Ron shrugged. "I don't care," said Harry. "But thanks for sticking up for me."

He gave her side hug and she laughed and ruffled his hair.

"No problem, Potter," she smirked.

"Just saying, Seamus may or not be upset with you," said Ron.

"Well Seamus can kiss my ass, because I don't give a fuck," said Kalilina, rolling her eyes.

All three of them fell out laughing.

* * *

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small little hut on the edge of the forbideen forest.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and loud booming barks. Kalilina eyed the door, nervously, stepping back cautiously.

"_Back_, Fang - _back_."

Hagrid's face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

"Hang on," he said. "_Back_, Fang."

He opened the door fully, letting them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded staright to Ron and started slobbering on his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This, Hagrid, is Harry and mine's favorite readhead - Ron," Kalilina told Hagrid, ruffling said boy's hair. Ron glared at her, and shoved her head slightly to the side.

"Another Weasley, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."

"That sounds exactly like them," said Ron, shaking his head. Hagrid gave them rock cakes - which looked so unetible - and pretended to like them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang pratically layed on Kalilina, drooling all over her as she stroked him on the ground of Hagrid's hut.

Ron eagerly told Hagrid about what Kalilina did in Snape's lesson. Hagrid actually barked with laughter. Kalilina smirked and popped her imaginary collar.

"I fear yer gonna cause a lot of trouble. Just like the twins!" chuckled Hagrid.

"Don't be surprised if I do," said Kalilina. All of them laughed before Hagrid asked Ron about his brother in Romania - Charlie. Harry seemed interested in the conversation, while Kalilina did not. She picked up a piece of paper that caught her eye and surveyed it.

**GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST**

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown._

_Gringotts goblins today insisited that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had been emptied that same day._

_"But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep you noses out if you know what's good for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this after-noon._

Kalilina remembered Ron telling herself and Harry that someone had robbed Gringotts. Kalilina smirked. '_I knew some dumbass would try and rob it._' she thought to herself.

"Hagrid!" said Kalilina. "that Gringotts break-in happened on Harry's birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!"

Harry quickly snatched the paper out of Kalilina's hand, quickly reading it. Hagrid's eyes did not meet Kalilina's. He just grunted and offered her another rock cake. Kalilina became suspicious.

_'Harry. Do you think there's something Hagrid's not telling_?' thought Kalilina.

'_Honestly, I don't know. But it seems like it. He's avoiding our questions and such._' Harry thought back.

Kalilina, Harry and Ron walked back to the castle for dinner with their pockets heavy, full of rock cakes that they were to polite to refuse, Harry and Kalilina thinking.

Had Hagrid collected that package in time?

Where was it now?

And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry and Kalilina?


	8. Forbidden 3rd Floor Corridor

**Harry Potter does not belong to me, it belongs to Queen J.K. Rowling. I only own Kalilina, her actions and thoughts.**

* * *

Kalilina had never hated some one so much until she met the loathsome Draco Malfoy. Sure, she only really saw him in Potions, but that was too much if you ask her. Harry and Ron hated him too. There was not one person in first year who did liked Malfoy. They were happy to only deal with him in Potions - but that changed quickly when they spotted a notice pinned up that made their moods turn sour. Flying lessons would be on Thursday - and what do you know! - Gryffindor was learning with Slytherin.

"Typical," muttered Harry darkly. "Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself in front of Malfoy."

"Bloody fucking hell," groaned Kalilina. "I swear, I'll kill Malfoy if he so much speaks a single word."

"I'm with you," mumbled Ron.

Before they knew it, Thursday was here. Kalilina had refused to leave her bed. A 7th year girl had to levitate Harry and Ron up the girls' staircase so they could get to Kalilina.

"Get up," demanded Harry. Kalilina pulled her blanket over her head.

"Seriously, Kali," said Ron. "You'll miss breakfast."

"I don't care," mumbled Kalilina from underneath the blanket. "I'm not going to breakfast or flying lessons. Tell them I've got the flu or something."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"You take her blanket, I'll grab her," said Harry to Ron. Ron nodded and swiftly pulled the blanket off of Kalilina.

"Hey, gimme - HARRY JAMES POTTER PUT ME DOWN AT THIS INSTANT!"

"Not unless you get up and get ready," he said, holding her over his shoulder.

"Whatever. Just let me down."

Harry did and Kalilina glared at him and Ron before going to get ready. 10 minutes later, she came out - uniform on, hair in a ponytail and ready to go.

"Now if you'll excuse me. I shall be crawling back into my bed now." she said and threw herself on her bed, throwing her blankets over herself. Both boys groaned. Ron, again, swiftly took Kalilina's blanket and Harry grabbed her again tossing her over his shoulder.

"I swear to god, Harry, I will murder you!" growled Kalilina, pounding on his back.

"Yeah, yeah. Quit complaining," snickered Harry. Kalilina glared at his back as he left the girls' dorm. The staircase turned into a slid, and Harry and Ron slid down. Ron walked behind Harry, taunting Kalilina.

"Harry!" whined Kalilina. "Ron's taunting me!"

"Ron, stop it." ordered Harry.

"But she was doing it too!" accused Ron.

"Nu uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Nu uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Shut it!"

The two became silent. Suddenly, Kalilina's face broke out into a devious grin.

"That reminds me, Ronniekins," she sang. "You still have yet to do what I bet you to."

Ron's face went slightly pale. "W-what a-are y-you t-talking a-about?"

Kalilina smirked evily. "You know _exactly _what I'm talking about, Ronald. Does start-of-term-feast ring a bell?"

Ron gulped.

"Gotcha."

"W-when?" choaked out Ron.

"This Saturday," smirked Kalilina. "And you _better _do it, or else Ronald Weasley."

"Hey! How come she can taunt me, but I can't taunt her?" accused Ron.

"She'll kill me if I try to tell her what to do. I want to live a full, happy life, thank you very much." said Harry. Kalilina broke into fits of giggles because she knew it was true. When the three reached the Great Hall, Harry set Kalilina down - which she whined aboyt because she did not want to walk - and they walked over to the Gryffindor table.

"So who's ready for flying lessons with the Slythergits?" asked Kalilina. There were collective groans from the first years. A 5th year near them chuckled.

"I remember when I was your age and having my first flying lesson," he said. "I was so scared I fell off my broom."

The first years stared at him, frightened.

"Thanks. That was really helpful!" snapped Kalilina. "You know, maybe your fall damaged your brain."

The 5th year raised his hands in defense, going back to talking with his friends.

"I think I'm going to faint," muttered Seamus Finnigan.

"I'm with you, mate," said Dean Thomas.

"Oh, come on, guys," said Kalilina, waving them off, "I doubt it can be _that _bad!"

"You heard that fith year, Kali!" exclaimed Ron. "He said he _fell _off his broom! _Fell_! That can easily happen to anyone of us!"

There were shouts of agreement.

"Well it's that dumbass' fault -"

"Hey!" interuppted the fith year. Kalilina ignored him and continued on,

"- that he fell off. I guarantee you that no one is going to fall off. And if someone does, I give you permission to yell at me. Not hit me though, 'cause I'll kill you if you do that."

Hermione Granger continued on the rest of breakfast telling them all flying tips. In all reality, it was making Kalilina nervous.

"Granger. Shut. Up." hissed Kalilina. "You aren't helping, really. If anything, you're making everyone more nervous!"

"I don't think you have the right to speak for every one else, Kalilina." said Hermione, pointedly.

"I'm just saying what every one is basically thinking." snapped Kalilina.

"Again, every one else can speak for themselves! Stop acting like you run everything!" said Hermione.

"I'm not acting like anything! You act like your Miss- motherfucking - Perfect! Newsflash: You aren't!; YOU'RE A BLOODY KNOW IT ALL!" shouted Kalilina.

"I'D RATHER BE A KNOW-IT-ALL THAN AN AIRHEAD!" Hermione shouted back.

"Being a know it all: means you have no friends. Just enemies." stated Kalilina.

"Well then, you must be a know-it-all, because all you have are just enemies." smirked Hermione.

"GO CHOKE ON A DICK, BITCH. MOST PERFERABLY, MALFOY'S!" barked Kalilina. She was fuming. Harry and Ron kept trying to calm her down, but she was backing down. Not yet.

"MISS BLACK!"

Professor McGonagall came bolting over, staring down at Kalilina. Kalilina faultered a bit under McGonagall's stare.

"Yes, Professor?" she asked, warily.

"I will not torelate any type of vulagr language. Next time, its a detention. This time, 15 points will be taken away." With that, Professor McGonagall walked away. Kalilina glared evily at Hermione, who was doing the same back.

"Well I'm going to go now," stated Kalilina. "Before I kill someone. That someone being Granger."

Hermione made a noise of anger, rising to starting arguing again.

"Sit down, Granger. I've let out enough steam that I could rival the Hogwarts Express." chuckled Kalilina. A few others chuckled nervously - nervous about the quickly coming flying lesson and about the wrath of Kalilina.

"I hope you all fly good, except you, Granger. I hope you fall and hurt yourself. Come on, Harry, Ron."

As Kalilina, Harry and Ron left the Great Hall, Seamus started the applause. Soon after, many others had joined in. Hermione tried to stop the shouting, but the others just laughed at her and continued to applaud and cheer. As soon as the three were far away, Ron burst out laughing.

"You - you - Merlin! - that was - that was - hilarious!" laughed Ron. Kalilina laughed too. Harry just shook his head at the two.

"Hey, Harry. Can I..." said Kalilina, traveling off, gesturing to his arm. He sighed and held out his arm. She smiled apologetically and bit down on his arm.

"I will never understand this," muttered Ron. Kalilina released her teeth out of Harry's arm.

"Yeah, you probably never will." agreed Kalilina. "But you'll get used to it."

Ron shrugged.

* * *

At three-thirty that afternoon, the three trudged as well as the other Gryffindors hurried down onto the grounds. The Slytherins were already there - Draco Malfoy sneered at Kalilina, Ron and Harry - and so were 20 brooms. Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, gray hair, and eyes yellow like hawks.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up."

"I expected better," muttered Kalilina, looking down at her broom. It looked like if you rode it one more time, it would break into two. Harry laughed but instantly stopped when she glared at him.

"Stick out right your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!'"

"UP!"

Kalilina's broom shot up into her hand - but with so much force knocking her back.

"You okay there, Kali?" asked Ron.

"I'm fine," she grumbled as she got up. She held her broom firmly in her hand, shooting a menacing glare at Malfoy and his cronies. Ron had got his broom to smack him on the forehead. He glared at Kalilina as she laughed.

Then Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off, and walked up and down prefecting their hands. Kalilina smirked, as well as Harry and Ron, when Madam Hooch told Malfoy he had been doing it for years.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard," said Madam Hooch. "Keep your broom steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning foward slightly. On my whistle - three - two -"

But Neville kicked off before number three was even called. He rose into the air. Kalilina was about to help him down, but found she rising to.

"Wait! Wait! Neville!" squeaked Kalilina.

"Come back here, you two!" Madam Hooch shouted, but Neville rose up into the air even higher.

"OH MY GOD. I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE. RON, HARRY. HEEEEEELP!" screeched Kalilina, who was hanging up side down from the broom.

"CALM DOWN, YOU AREN'T GOING TO DIE -" Ron called back.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! YOU AREN'T THE ONE HANGING UPSIDE DOWN ON A BROOM, RONALD! NOW SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Just at that moment, the broom tipped foward and both Neville and Kalilina went toppling foward. Kalilina scfreamed bloody murder as she fell, closing her eyes tightly. She hit the ground with a thud. Every Gryffindor rushed to her.

"Are you ok?"

"Are you dead?"

"Speak!"

Kalilina forced her eyes to open and groaned.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. "Now someone help me up."

Harry and Ron grabbed both of her arms, pulling her up.

"Are you okay, girl?" asked Madam Hooch. Kalilina nodded.

"Neville, where is he?"

Just at that moment, they heard whimpering. It was Neville. Everyone ran over to him.

"Are you okay, Neville?" asked Kalilina, trying to help him up. He shook his head, holding onto his wrist.

"Broken wrist," Madam muttered. "Come on, boy, it's all right, up you get."

She helped him up and turned to the rest of the class.

"None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch.' Come on dear."

No sooner than Madam Hooch and Neville were out of earshot did Malfoy burst into laughter.

"Did you see his face, the great lump?"

The other Slytherins joined in.

"Shut up, Malfoy," snapped Parvati Patil.

"Oooh, sticking up for Longbottom?" giggled Pansy Parkinson - or to Kalilina, Pugsy Pugsyson. "Never thought _you'd _like fat little cry-babies, Parvati."

"Look!" said Malfoy, picking up something out of the grass. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him."

Glittering in the sun as Malfoy held it up, was Neville's Rememberball.

"Give it here and no one gets hurt, Malfoy," snapped Kalilina, holding out her hand expectantly.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

"I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find - how about - up a tree?"

"Give it _here_, Malfoy!" shouted Harry. But Malfoy had jumped on his broom and took off.

"Come and get it, Potter! Black!"

Kalilina glared up in his direction. She grabbed their nearest broomstick - which happened to be Pansy's - and mounted it. Harry did the same with his broom.

"_No!_" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move - you'll get us all into trouble!"

"Well, who do you expect to go get it?" demanded Kalilina. "You, Granger? No? Exactly. Now shut up and be the insufferable know-it-all you are."

Harry and Kalilina mounted their brooms and kicked off hard from the ground. Kalilina gripped tightly onto her broom, terrified of heights. Yes - she was terrified of heights. But her determination to get Malfoy to give back Neville's Remembrall overuled her fear. As she rose higher into the air, she found she liked it. Probably the only time she would enjoy heights. She laughed as she went even higher, doing flips, enjoying it. There were admiring whoops from many down below.

'You okay there, Kali?' thought Harry. Kalilina smirked.

'You mean with the heights thing? Wonderful. Malfoy is getting his arse kicked.' she thought back. Now Harry wore a smirk identical to hers.

'This is why I love you.' he thought. She laughed out loud and turned her broom around sharply to face Malfoy, at the same time as Harry. It was obvious to see Malfoy was stunned.

"Thought we couldn't do it, Malfoy?" taunted Kalilina.

"You obviously don't know us." smirked Harry. Malfoy sneered.

"Well, are you going to be butthurt or are you going to hand it over?" called Kalilina. Malfoy continued to sneer, but looked slightly worried. Harry and Kalilina exchanged a look before bolting towards Malfoy like a javelin. Malfoy finally came to his senses just in time; Kalilina and Harry turned sharply back toward Malfoy, determination etched on their face. People down below were clapping.

"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy," Harry taunted.

The same thought crossed Malfoy's mind - Kalilina checked.

"Catch it if you can, then!" he shouted, ans he threw the glass ball high into the air and it soared.

'_Go over near the castle, I'll retrieve it and I'll throw it to you, got it?' _Kalilina thought. Harry nodded in understanding. Without another thought, Kalilina dived for the Remebrall. The drop was terrifying to say the least, but she kept her eyes on her prize. She caught it when it was 2 feet away from the ground. That earned her whoops and cheers from those below. She rose back up and threw the Remebrall as far as she could to Harry who was near a window near the castle. Harry caught it and Kalilina cheered. They both flew back to the ground and were enveloped by the Gryffindors. Kalilina hugged Harry tightly. But the cheering and celebration was soon broken.

"HARRY POTTER AND KALILINA BLACK!"

Kalilina's heart sunk to her stomach. She turned around to face an angry-faced Professor McGonagall. Sure, she had gotten kicked out of Professor McGonagall's class more than once and lost numerous points in her class - but now Kalilina felt this was her last straw. McGonagall had had enough and was going to expel her.

"_Never _- in all my timeat Hogwarts -" She had to stop from shock, " - how _dare _you - might have broken your necks -"

"It wasn't their faults, Professor - "

"Be quiet Miss Patil - "

"But Malfoy - "

"That's _enough_, Mr Weasley. Potter, Black, follow me now."

Kalilina hung her head.

'_We're going to be expelled aren't we?_' thought Harry.

'_Seems like it. I don't want to go back to the Dursleys, Harry!_' wailed Kalilina in her thoughts. Harry slung his arm around her shoulders.

'_Neither do I, Kali._' Harry thought back, sadly.

'_For once, I was somewhere wehere I belonged. Where I was treated like everyone else. And now I went and fucked it up.' _thought Kalilina. Harry stayed silent. They both didn't want to talk anymore.

Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Both Harry and Kalilina's eyes went wide as saucers as a thought crossed their minds: _Holy shit. She's going to use 'Wood' on us._

But Wood turned out to be a burly fifth-year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking bewildered.

"Follow me, you three," said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry and Kalilina. Kalilina twirled her hair and winked at him while Harry smacked her up the head.

"In here."

Professor McGonagall pointed them into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves writing curse words on the blackboard.

"Out, Peeves!" she barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, which clanged loudly, and swooped out cursing. Professor McGonagall slammed the door behind him, spinning around to face the three. Kalilina bit her lip and couldn't take the mysterious air around them anymore.

"Professor, please don't expel me and Harry!" she pleaded. "We didn't want to go up in the air - we didn't. You know how good me and Harry are - well. i can't lie. Mostly Harry - it was all Malfoy's fault! He took Neville's Remebrall and he didn't want to give it back. Please, oh, please don't expel me and Harry from Hogwarts! We can't go back and live with Harry's uncle, aunt and cousin! They're horrible!"

Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "I assure you, Miss Black, you aren't being expelled."

Kalilina and Harry both let out a sigh of relief, high-fiving each other.

"Why are we here then?" asked Harry.

"Potter, Black, this is Oliver Wood. Wood - I've found you a Seeker and Chaser."

Wood's expression turned from puzzlement, weirded out, to delight.

"Are you serious, Professor?"

"Absolutely," said Professor McGonagall crisply. "They're both naturals. I've never seen anything like it. Was that your first time on brooms?"

Harry nodded silently as did Kalilina.

"She dived fifty-five feet before zooming back up and throwing it to Potter over here," Professor McGonagall told Wood. "Then Potter dived again to catch that thing in his hand. Didn't even scratch themselves. Charlie Weasley couldn't have done it."

Wood now looked as though if he died at this moment, he would die happily.

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch, you two?"

"Wood's captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor McGonagall explained.

"He's built for a Seeker, too," said Wood, now walking around Harry and staring at him. "Light - speedy - perfect. And let's not forget her. I'd say she's more built for a Beater, but she has some Chaser qualities. We'll have to get them decent brooms, Professor - a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven, I'd say."

"I shall speak to Professor Dumbledore and see if we can't bend the first-year rule. Heaven knows, we need a better team than lest year. _Flattened _in that last match by Slytherin, I couldn't look Severus Snape in the face for weeks...

She then peered sternly over ger glasses at Harry and Kalilina..

"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, Black. Especially you, Black. Or I may change my mind about punishing you."

Then she suddenly smiled.

"Your fathers would have been proud," she said. "They were excellent Quidditch players themselves."

* * *

"You're _joking_."

It was dinnertime. Kalilina and Harry had just finished telling Ron what had happened when they'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Ron had a peice of steak and kidney pie halfway to his mouth - but it had been forgotten.

"_Seeker_ and _Chaser_?" he said. "But first years _never _ - you must be the youngest House player in about - "

" - a century," finished Kalilina, shoveling pie into her mouth. She had grown awfully hungry after the news this afternoon. "Wood told us."

Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just and gaped at Harry.

"We start training next week," said Harry. "Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret."

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry, and hurried over.

"Well done," said George in a low voice. "Wood told us. We're on the team too - Beaters."

"I tell you, we're going to win that Quidditch Cup for sure thsi year," said Fred. "We haven't won since Charlie left, but this year's team is going to be brilliant. You must be good, Harry, Kalilina, Wood was almost skipping when he told us."

"Anyway, we've got to go, Lee Jordan reckons he's found a new secret passageway out of the school."

"Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you."

Fred and George had barely gone when unwelcome guests came waltzing over: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Having a last meal, Potter, Black? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?"

"Honestly, if it wasn't for the teachers up at the Head Table, you arse would've been crushed by now." said Harry, coolly.

"I'd take both of you anytime on my own," said Malfoy. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel, I suppose?"

Ron snorted. "Of course they have," said Ron spinning around. "I'm Harry's second, who's yours?"

Malfoy sized Crabbe and Goyle up.

"Crabbe," he said. "Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

When Malfoy had gone, Kalilina and Ron looked at Ron.

"What's a wizard duel?" asked Harry.

"What do you mean you're Harry's second?" asked Kalilina.

"Well, a second's there to take over if you die," Ron responded casually. He noticed Harry's expression and quickly added, "But people only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. Bet he expected you to refuse anyway."

"And what happens if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" asked Harry, worriedly.

"I'll handle him. One reason I'm going," Kalilina said. "if that little prick steps out of line, fuck wands, he's gettinga big fat juicy knuckle sandwich."

Ron and Harry snorted and started laughing until _another _unwelcome guest came over.

"Excuse me."

The three turned to see Hermione Granger.

"Can't a person eat in peace around here?" said Ron.

Hermione, however, ignored him.

"I couldn't help but overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying - "

"Nosy bitch," muttered Kalilina.

"- and you _musn't _go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really very selfish of you."

"And it's really none of your buisiness," said Harry.

"Bitch be gone," said Kalilina.

"Good-bye," said Ron.

* * *

"Are you still planning to go to meet Malfoy with Harry and Ron?" Hermione asked Kalilina when they reached their dorm. Kalilina glared at the busy haired girl.

"Honestly, shut up. Like Harry said, it's not any of your business," snapped Kalilina.

"It _is _my business if you're planning to lose our House points!" retorted Hermione.

"Well, we are going to go meet Malfoy, for your information, Granger." stated Kalilina.

"Why do not care about losing points for our House?" asked Hermione. Kalilina sighed and rolled her eyes.

"I do care, honestly. But you - you are a goody-two-shoes who doesn't know how to take risks. Losing points is minor, okay. It's not that big of a deal. Not like I got detention and lost the House 2,000 points or something. So, calm down, Granger. And, really. Next time you talk to me, you'll be getting punched. Now leave me alone."

Kalilina changed into her pajamas and then laid in her bed, stroking Starshine, while doing some of her homework. At 10:00, most of the girls had fell asleep. Including Hermione herself. Thank the heavens for that. At 11:30, Kalilina putting a sleeping Starshine on her bed, creeping out her dorm. She creeped down the stairs into the common room. She saw Ron and Harry, but they were not alone. There, sitting in an armchair, was none other than Hermione Granger.

"_You_!" hissed Kalilina. "I thought you were in the dorm, _asleep_!"

"How could I let you three lose points for us?" she snapped.

"Just go to bed," said Ron, furiously.

"I almost told your brother, _Ronald_," she snapped, "Percy - he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this."

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's just go or we're going to be late. Let her be angry with us, who cares."

Harry, Ron and Kalilina climped the hole of the portrait. But Hermione was not giving up so easy. She followed after Kalilina, hissing like an angry goose.

"Don't you _care _about Gryffindor, do you _only _care about yourselves, _I _don't want Slytherin to win the House Cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about switching spells."

"Go away."

"All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so -"

Hermione had been locked out of Gryffindor Tower.

"_Now _what am I supposed to?" she asked shrilly.

"We don't know, nor do we care," said Kalilina. "Now we've got to go or we're going to be late."

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them.  
"I'm going with you," she declared.

"Who the _fuck _do you think you are?" demanded Kalilina. "No one said you could tag along, Granger. Now go stand and wait so you can go tattle-tale to the Fat Lady when she comes back."

"D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all 4 of us I'll tell him the truth, that I was trying to stop you, and you can back me up."

"You've got some nerve -" said Ron loudly.

"Shut up, all three of you!" said Harry sharply. "I heard something."

It was sort of snuffling.

"Mrs. Norris?" breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

It had not been the cat. It was Neville. He had been curled up, fast asleep, but jerked awake as they crept nearer.

"Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours, I couldn't remember the new password to get into bed."

"Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's 'Pig snout' but it won't help you knoe, the Fat Lady's gone off somewhere."

"How's your arm, Neville?" asked Kalilina.

"Fine," said Neville, showing them. "Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute."

"Good - well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later -"

"Don't leave me!" said Neville, scrambling to his feet, "I don't want to stay here alone, the Bloody Baron's already been past twice already."

Ron looked at his watch then glared at Hermione and Neville.

"If either of you get us caught, I'll never rest until I've learned that Curse of the Bogies Quirell told us about, and used it on you."

They then took off towards the trophy room. They waited as minutes crept by.

"That little prick chickened out!" whispered Kalilina harshly. Then a voice made all them freeze in their spot.

"Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Filch.

Kalilina took action and motioned everyone to follow her. Neville's robes had barely whipped around the corner, Filch entered the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere," Filch muttered, "probably hiding."

"This way!" Harry mouthed to the others and they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armor. Neville accidentally fell into Ron, making them both knock into a suit of armor.

The clanging and crashing could've woken all of Britain.

"RUUUUUUUUUUN!" yelled Kalilina, and the five of them sprinted down the gallery, not bothering to look back and see if Filch was following. They ran until they got to the Charms classroom.

"I think we've lost him," Harry panted.

"Fuck," gasped Kalilina. "That's enough excercising for a whole year!"

"I - _told _- you," Hermione coughed, clutching her chest. "I - told - you."

"We've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower," said Ron, "quickly as possible."

"Malfoy tricked you," Hermione said to Harry. "You realize that, don't you? He was never going to meet you - Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must've tipped him off."

Everyone knew she was right, but didn't want to tell her.

"Let's go."

They maybe walked twelve paces when a classroom doorknob jiggled and something came shooting out the classroom.

It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up, Peeves - please - you'll get us thrown out."

Peeves cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty.

"Not if you don't shut your trap," snapped Kalilina. And with a nudge from Harry, grumbled, "please."

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice, but eyes glinting mischievously. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out the way," snapped Ron, taking a swing at Peeves - not the brightest of ideas.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" bellowed Peeves,"STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

"Nice going, Ron!" growled Kalilina, as she and the others ducked under Peeves and ran as though their lives depended on it. In a way, it did. They ran right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door - and it was locked.

"This is it!" moaned Ron, as they pushed helplessly on the door, "We're done for! This is the end!"

Filch's footsteps grew closer.

"Move out the way, you dumbasses!" snarled Kalilina. She took out her wand - that had been used as a hair holder - tapped the lock and whispered, "_Alohomora_!"

They piled trough the now unlocked door, and shut it quickly, leaning against it so they could hear.

"Which way did they go Peeves?" Filch was saying. "Quick, tell me."

"Say 'please.'"

"Don't mess with me, Peeves, now _where did they go_?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please," said Peeves in his annoying singsong voice.

"All right - _please_."

"NOTHING!" Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!" And they heard Peeves whoosh away and Filch walking away, cursing in rage.

"Lost him again," whispered harry. "I think we're okay - _What, Neville?_"

They all turned around and stood frozen.

They weren't in a room, as they had all thought. They were in a corrdor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they all knew why it was forbidden.

Standing in front of them was a huge dog with three heads, snarling down at them. The five first years shrieked and bolted out the room, slamming it behind them. Not a single one of them stopped running until they got back to the seventh floor, where the Fat Lady was.

"Where in earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their disheveled appearance.

"Never mind that - pig snout, pig snout," gasped Kalilina, and the portrait swung open. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, terrified, into armchairs.

It was silent between them.

"What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?" said Ron finally. "If any dog needs exercise, that one needs some for sure."

Hermione had gotten her bad temper back.

"You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"I'm sorry, Granger," snapped Kalilina. "I was focusing on _not _getting eaten, thank you very much."

"It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

She stood up, glaring at them.

"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed - or else, expelled. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

Ron glared after her.

"No, we don't mind," he said. "You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?"

Kalilina and Harry nodded. But Hermione had given them something else to think about as he climbed back into bed. The dog _was _guarding something ... What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide - except perhaps Hogwarts.

It looked as though Kalilina and Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

* * *

**Chapter 7, guise! I'm so happy right now. c: I've gotten so far. I've wanted to start another story, but I don't know what about. Could you review and give me so ideas? Thank you! :D**


	9. Saving Granger

**Chapter 9. Oh My Merlin! Chapter 8 already? Cray cray.**

**I don't know own Harry Potter. I only own Kalilina, her thoughts, actions, and any other unrecognisable character in the series. Enjoy Chapter numero 9!**

* * *

It was obvious that Malfoy was shocked to see Kalilina, Ron and Harry sitting at breakfast the next, tired but cheerful all the same. The finding of the three-headed dog had been exciting, and they wanted to see if they could have another adventure. But for the time being, Kalilina and Harry filled Ron in about the package that seemed to been moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts.

"It's either really valuable or really dangerous," said Ron.

"Or both," said Harry.

"Definitely both."

They only thing they knew was that it was 2 inches long, and that wasn't much to go on. Neither Neville or Hermione showed any interest on what was underneath the dog and below the trapdoor. Neville kind of avoided them, in fear of having to go back to see the dog. Hermione refused to speak to them - to which they thought was a bonus. All they craved now was to get back at Malfoy for setting them up.

And it came in the mail a week later.

Owls came flooding in, flying around for their masters. Everyone stopped doing whatever they were doing and stared at the two owls holding a long, thin package. The owls dropped the thin packages; one for Harry and one for Kalilina. Along with the package came a letter. Kalilina had a feeling she knew what it was. She quickly tore open the letter reading its contents.

DO NOT OPEN PARCEL AT TABLE.

_It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you and Potter tonight on the Quidditch feild at seven o'clock for your first training session_

_Professor McGonagall_

Kalilina squealed with happiness, doing a little dance. Others gave her weird looks, but she just stuck her tongue at those people.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Ron moaned enviously. "I've never even _touched _one."

"I'll let you ride mine sometime, Ron," grinned Kalilina. Ron gave her a side hug and thanked her. They then quickly exited the hall, eager to open their broomsticks. But that plan was diminished when they saw Crabbe and Goyle, and their prick of a leader, Malfoy.

"Surprised to see us here, Malfoy?" taunted Kalilina. He sneered at her.

"I bet you got detention," snickered Crabbe. Kalilina grinned.

"Nope. We got off scotch free, isn't that right, boys?" Harry and Ron shook their heads in agreement, smirking. Malfoy glared and looked at the thin package in both Kalilina and Harry's hand.

"Those are brooms," stated Malfoy, looking sour. "You do know first years aren't allowed brooms. You're definitely getting expelled now."

To the three Slytherin's surprise, the three Gryffindors burst out laughing.

"It's a Nimbus Two Thousand," grinned Ron. "What did you say you've got at home, Malfoy? A Comet Two Sixty? Comets look flashy but they aren't in the same league as the Nimbus."

"What would you know about it, Weasley, you couldn't afford half the handle," Malfoy snapped. " I suppose you and your brothers have to save up twig by twig."

"Whoa," said Kalilina before Ron could answer, "I'm right here, Malfoy. I don't think you insulting my best friend is a good choice. Unless...you want a re-do of what happened on the train."

Malfoy visibly gulped as Kalilina cracked her knuckles.

"Afraid of a girl, Malfoy?" snickered Harry.

"Shut it, Potter." snapped Malfoy. "I'm not afraid of your little girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" snorted Kalilina. "Wow, Malfoy. You know, everyone knows how madly in love you are with me. It's okay, no need to hide it."

The look on Malfoy's face mad the three Gryffindors fall out laughing.

"Why you little -" Malfoy was cut off by Professor Flitwick appearing at Malfoy's elbow.

"Now agruing, I hope?" he squeaked.

"Professor, Potter and Black's been sent a broomstick," said Malfoy, with a smirk.

"Yes, yes, that's right," said Professor Flitwick, beaming at Kalilina and Harry. "Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances, Potter, Black. And what model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand, sir," said Kalilina and Harry, grinning at Malfoy's look of horror. "And it's all thanks to Malfoy here."

"Yeah, thanks a bunch Malfoy," smirked Kalilina, winking at him. They all laughed at Malfoy's rage and confusion while heading upstairs.

"Really, though," giggled Kalilina, "If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remebrall me and Harry wouldn't be on the team..."

"So you think that's a reward for breaking rules?" came an angry voice. Kalilina rolled her eyes and turned around.

"God, Granger. Just stop trying to be Mother Goose." said Kalilina.

"Plus, I thought you weren't speaking to us?" said Harry.

"Yeah, you were doing so good," said Ron, "don't stop now."

Hermione scoffed and marched away with her nose up the air. Kalilina imitated her making them all laugh.

Neither Kalilina nor Harry could focus on their lessons, to eager to open their brooms. They both scarfed down their dinner - not even knowing what they putting into their stomachs - and rushed upstairs with Ron to unwrap the Nimbus Two Thousand. Kalilina went to her dorm to get her broom then headed to the boys' dorm.

"Oh," gaped Kailina.

"My," gasped Harry.

"Merlin," sighed Ron.

The brooms looked beautiful - even to Kalilina and Harry - who had never seen brooms in their lives. Sleek and shiny, with a mahogany handle, it had a long tal of neat, straight twigs and Nimbus Two Thousand written in gold near the top.

As seven o' clock drew nearer, Harry and Kalilina left the castle and set off towards the Qudditch field. Standing inside of it made you feel small. It was that huge. It had hoops on either side of the feild that looked like overly side bubble rings.

"I'm going to go fly until Wood comes," said Harry. "Coming?"

"Nope. I'd rather keep my feet on the ground." stated Kalilina, crossing her arms. Harry shook his head.

"You do know that you'll be flying high in the air when in the game right?" asked Harry.

"Not really high in the air, though," said Kalilina. "I'll go as high as the smallest one. That's it. Thank god I'm not in your position or else I would've never joined the team at all."

"You have to get over your fear of heights sometime, Kali," chuckled Harry.

"Yeah, sometime. But that sometimes doesn't have to be now." said Kalilina. Harry shook his head.

"Well at least come fly with me," he pleaded. Kalilina glared at him as he gave her the puppy dog eyes. He knew damn well she couldn't resist them!

"I bloody hate you, Potter," grumbled Kalilina, mounting her broom.

"I love you too, Black," he smirked. Kalilina glared at him as they both kicked hard off the ground, soaring into the air. Harry soared up to the highest bubble ring - damn him for not being afraid of heights - and Kalilina stayed near the smallest one.

"Hey, Potter, Black, come down!"

Oliver Wood had arrived. He was carrying a large wooden cfrate under his arm. Kalilina landed next to him and Harry next to her.

"I can see what McGonagall meant," said Wood, eyes glinting. "I'll be teaching you two the basics this evening, then you'll be joining team practice three times a week."

Kalilina bit her lip, trying to keep in a groan. How were they going to manage homework _and _practice?!

Wood opened the crate. Inside were four different-sized balls.

"Right," said Wood. "Now Quidditch is easy enough to understand, even if it's not too easy to play. There are seven players on each side. Three of them are called Chasers."

"Three Chasers," repeated Harry.

"One of them being me, correct?" said Kalilina. Wood nodded and took out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.

"This ball's called the Quaffle," said Wood. Kalilina stifled her laughter. Quaffle was remarkably close to 'waffle'. "The Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through one of the hoops to score a goal. Ten points every time the Quaffle goes throigh one of the hoops. Follow me?"

Both Kalilina and Harry nodded simetaneously.

"Now, there's another player on each side who's called the Keeper - I'm Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and stop the other team from scoring."

After Wood had explained all the rules and the uses of all the equipment, the three were up in the air, playing a mini game of Quidditch.

"The Quidditch Cup will be ours this year," said Wood happily as they walked back to the castle. "Definitely."

* * *

With homework and practice three times a week now, it slipped past Kalilina that she and Harry had been here for 2 months already. It had felt like much more of a home in two months, than the Dursleys has in 11 years. The lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had passed basics.

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through corridors. Even better, Professor Flitwick announced that he thought it was about time they start making things fly, something they'd all wanted to do when they seen him levitate a stack of books. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Unfortunately, for Kalilina, she had Malfoy. Ron wasn't much better - he had Hermione Granger. Harry was the lucky one - he was with Seamus Finnigan.

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And saying magic words is very important too never forget Wizard Baruffo, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

"_Wingardium Leviosa!_" said Malfoy, flicking his wrist. His feather didn't move. "_Wingardim Leviosa!_" Again, it did not move. By this time, Malfoy was growing irritated. "_Wingardium Leviosa! Wingardium Leviosa!_"

The feather didn't budge.

Kalilina, who had been watching him struggle, finally cracked and barked with laughter.

"Honestly, Malfoy. Are you deaf?" she chortled. "It's Win-_gar_- dium Levi-_o_-sa, the 'gar' is nice and long."

"Then you do it, Black!" demanded Malfoy. "I bet you're all talk."

"Watch and learn, dumbass," she smirked. "_Wingardium Leviosa!_"

Just at that moment, someone else had said the enchantment. Kalilina's and Hermione's feather rose four feet above everyone's heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Black and Miss Granger have done it!"

"Why, of course I have," said Kalilina, sitting up straight, "It's an easy enchantment that anyone smart person can do."

She smirked and lowered her voice so only Malfoy could hear her, "Bet that's why you couldn't do it, Malfoy. You're as incompetent as they come."

Needless to say, Ron and Malfoy were in a sour mood by the end of class.

Kalilina gathered up her things at the end of class, but not before she heard her name is a conversation by her most unliked person - besides Granger of course.

"Can you beileve that twat!" hissed Malfoy.

"Yeah, Malfoy," agreed Crabbe.

"She's such a twat," agreed Goyle.

"I swear to it that she'll go the same way as her bloody mother. She had no sense either." he said, more to himself. Crabbe and Goyle nodded anyway.

'_Maybe it's an instinct_' Kalilina thought to herself.

"Yohoo, Malfoy!" she sung. "I'm still in the room, y'know."

"Good. So you heard everything I just said." he turned and faced her with a stony expression.

"Yes, I did," she said, in a sickingly sweet voice, " I also heard how you were insulting my mother."

"So?" drawled Malfoy. She seized him by the front of his robes.

"Listen here you low-life, ferret faced prick!" she hissed in his face. "You need to stop talking about my mother. Or next time, I don't care. Your arse is going to be sleeping with the fishes. Literally."

She released him and stomped her way out of the Charms classroom. She saw Ron and Harry and pushed between them.

"Hello, boys," she said in a bland tone.

"Your eyes are dark." stated Harry.

"Yeah? So?" she snapped.

"What happened?" he sighed.

"I'll tell you guys later, I don't want the whole corridor knowing," she glared at the people around her.

"Anyway, back to what I was saying," said Ron. "It's no wonder no one can stand her. She's a nightmare, honestly."

Kalilina snorted as someone pushed through her and Harry.

Granger.

And Kalilina was shocked to see that she was crying.

"I think she heard you," stated Harry. Kalilina smacked him on the back of the head.

"No fucking really, Harry!" she said sarcastically. "I thought she was laughing and it just rained on her face. Thanks for being Captain Obvious. Your ship has set sailed."

"Who cares," said Ron, but he looked uneasy. "She must've realized she's got no friends."

Kalilina bit her lip, feeling gult tug at her stomach.

Hermione didn't turn up to any classes for the rest of the day. That just fueled Kalilina's guilt. But as soon as the three walked into the Great Hall, everything relating to Hermione left their minds.

A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making candles in the pumpkins stir. The fest appeared suddenly on the golden plates, just as it did at the start-of-term banquet.

Everyone in the hall was eating and chattering when Quirrell came sprinting in; his turban was askew and he looked terrified. The hall went silent as he reached Dumbedlore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped,

"Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know."

He then fell to floor; he fainted.

There were screams of terror - mostly from first years - from around the Great Hall, and many tried to run out the Hall.

"SILENCE!"

Dumbledore's booming voice made everyone freeze in their spots.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

Little did everyone else know, Kalilina ran out the hall and ran for the first bathroom she knew of. And that bathroom was in a deserted corridor. She darted in, frantic.

"Granger!" she called. "Granger! Granger, answer me!"

"W-who is it?" croaked a voice from the last stall. Kalilina banged on the stall door.

"Granger, get out of there! We've got to go!" hissed Kalilina. There was sniffling.

"Why should I go with you? You're a reason why I'm crying!" wailed the voice. Kalilina cursed Hermione for making her feel so much guilt.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay. Just, just come out." mumbled Kalilina. But Hermione didn't come out.

"Granger, your life is in grave danger!" yelled Kalilina, exasperated.

"Oh, yeah? Why should I believe you?" croaked the voice. Kalilina growled and kicked the door in. Hermione looked shocked, even with Kalilina pulled her up from the toilet seat. They heard someone enter, but they figured it was another girl trying to use the bathroom.

"Now, let's _go_!" huffed Kalilina. But Hermione dug her heels into the ground.

"No, no, no! I _won't_!" Hermione refused.

"I swear to god, Granger - Oh god! What's that smell?!" gagged Kalilina. The pair turned around and stood frozen in their spots. They heard the door click - they were locked in. They both let out terrified shrieks.

"WHOEVER JUST LOCKED US IN ARE BLOODY FUCKING IDIOTS!" bellowed Kalilina, terrified to even move. The troll was standing at twelve feet tall, holding a club that could kill them with one hit. The door unlocked and in came running in Harry and Ron, panicing.

"You idiots!" shrieked Kalilina. "Had it not been for my screaming, Granger and I would be dead!"

Hermione stayed silent, her eyes on the troll.

"Confuse it!" Harry shouted desperately to Ron,and, seizing a tap, threw it as hard as he could against the wall. The troll stopped a few feet away from Hermione and Kalilina, turning around to blink stupidly at Harry. It hesisted and then raised its club, and made for Harry.

"Oy, pea-brain!" yelled Ron from the other side of the chamber, and he threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't notice it but heard the yell and paused before turning its ugly snout to Ron, allowing Harry to run around it.

"Com on, run, _run_!" he shouted to Kalilina and Hermione. But Kalilina was no longer focused on how much of idiots Ron and Harry were - but more focused on the troll who could kill all of them. She and Hermione both stood against the wall, in fear.

The shouting and echoes seemed to confuse the troll greatly. It roared again and started toward Ron, who was nearest and had no way to escape.

Harry then did something incredibly brave but also incredibly stupid: He took a great running jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. The troll couldn't feel Harry hanging, but he did feel a long bit of wood up his nose, and Harry's wand had still been in his hand when he jumped- it had gone up one of the troll's nostrils.

It howled with pain and threw about its club with Harry clinging on as though his life depended on it- which it did; any second, the troll was going to rip him off or catch him a terrible blow with the club,

"Harry, you bloody idiot," mumbled Kalilina, staring wide-eyed at the scene. Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright; Ron pulled out his own wand - not knwoing what he was going to do he heard himself cry the first spell that came into his head: "_Wingardim Leviosa_!"

The club flew out of the troll's hand and rose into the air - falling with a sickeing crack to the owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face with a thud that shook the whole room.

The 4 Gryffindors stood there in shock for a moment.

Harry got to his feet. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, shocked at what he had just done.

It was Hermione who spoke first.

"Is it - dead?"

"I don't know, why don't you go check," croaked out Kalilina, running to Harry and clinging onto his arm. She was still a bit shaken.

"I don't think so," said Harry, "I think it's just been knocked out."

He bent down and pulled out his wand from the troll's nose. They all gagged.

"Ugh - troll boogers."

Harry wipped it on the troll's trousers.

A loud banging sound vibrated off the walls of the bathroom. Standing in the doorway was McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell.

"What on earth were you thinking of?" Professor McGonagall said, cold fury in her voice, looking livid. "You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

'_Yeah, Harry. You had to go be superhero and nearly got yourself killed!_' snapped Kalilina inside her head.

'_Calm down. I'm alive. Not dead. You're overreacting._' Harry responded. Kalilina huffed.

"Please, Professor McGonagall - they were looking for me."

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione had managed to get to her feet and get her voice back.

"I wentlooking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."

Kalilina choked on air, Ron dropped his wand while Harry's mouth was just agape. Hermione Granger, _lying _to a teacher? It's the apocolypse! Run!

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Harry stuck his wand up its nose and Ron knocked it out with its own club. Kalilina tried to get me out, but I wouldn't budge. They didn't have time to come fetch anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Kalilina, Harry and Ron kept straight faces, to make it seem as though the story wasn't new to them.

"Well - in that case..." said Professor McGonagall, eyeing the four of them, "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you think of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione hung her head. The other three were completely gobsmacked. Hermione was the last one to lie to a teacher. The apocolpyse truly was coming.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," sighed Professor McGonagall. "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt at all, you'd better get off to Gryffindor Tower. Students are finishing the feast in their Houses."

Hermione left.

McGonagall turned to Kalilina, Harry and Ron.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll. You each win Gryffindor five points. Professor Dumbledore shall be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out, quite happy they didn't get detention or worse - expelled. They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Pig snout," they said.

The common room was packed and noisy, eating the food that had been sent up. Hermione stood by the door, waiting for them. They didn't look at each other as they said, "Thanks," and hurried off to get well deserved food.

It wasn't said, but from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a mountain troll was one of them.

* * *

**Whew! My hands hurt. :P I'm writing this during a storm and quite frankly, I'm terrified. But I suppose I'll be okay. But if I don't post for a long while, assume the worst. (Jokes Jokes.)**

**Review please! Reviews are wanted more than Harry wants his parents! ...okay, maybe not that much. But it's up there!**

**Review. :D**


	10. 1st Quidditch Match against Slytherin

**Harry Potter is not owned by me. Is owned by J.K. Rowling. I only own Kalilina, her thoughts, actions and unrecognisable characters. Enjoy chapter nine!**

* * *

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountain around the school became icy gray and the lake like child steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. Hagrid could be seen from upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on Quidditch field.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Kalilina and Harry would be playing in their first match after training for weeks: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship.

Hardly anyone saw Kalilina and Harry play, because they were Gryffindor's secret weapon. But news that they were playing leaked out somehow, and Harry didn't know which was worse, people telling him he'd be brilliant or they'd be running underneath and holding a matress. This didn't help for Kalilina - she was more nervous than Harry could possibly be.

It was really lucky that they had Hermione as a friend. She mostly helped Harry with his last-minute homework - for Kalilina mostly finished hers. She also leant them two copies of _Quidditch Through the Ages_, which turned out to be interesting.

Hermione had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules since Harry, Ron and Kalilina saved her from the mountain troll, and was a lot kinder for it. But that did not stop her and Kalilina getting into arguments and stomping off. Oh well, maybe it would cease in later times.

The day before Kalilina and Harry's first Quidditch match the three of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break, and she had conjured them up a bright blue fire that could be taken anywhere in a jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Snape crossed the yard. Kalilina instantly stuffed her book down her uniform and started whistling nonchalantly. She knew he would try to find a reason to yell at them. He limped over - Kalilina, Ron and Harry wanted so badly to laugh - and looked at their guilty faces. They had covered the fire with their bodies, so he couldn't see it.

"What's that you got there, Potter?"

Harry showed Snape his _Quidditch Through the Ages_.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Snape. "Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor." He turned to Kalilina and eyed her bulged chest.

"What's that, Black?"

"My chest, Professor. Would you like to feel it?" said Kalilina, pushing her chest outwards. Snape screwed his face up in disgust and limped away. The 4 Gryffindors laughed.

"Did you see his face?" laughed Ron.

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Dunno, but I hope he dies from it," said Ron bitterly.

* * *

The Gryffindor common room was very noisy that evening. Harry, Ron, Kalilina and Hermione sat together next a window. Hermione was checking Ron's Charms homework, while Kalilina checked Harry's. Kalilina couldn't give Harry nor Ron answers, like she planned to, with Hermione's hawk eyes.

Harry felt restless. He wanted his brook back, to keep his nerves at bay for tomorrow. Why should he be afraid of Snape? Getting up, he told the other three he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.

"If you don't make it back, can I have all your things?" grinned Kalilina, cheekily. Harry glared at her and she barely missed the pillow thrown at her.

Harry made his way down to the staffroom and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing,

Perhaps Snape had died and left the book in there? That thought made Harry push the door ajar and peer inside - and he nearly choked at the horrible scene before him.

Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.

"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?"

Harry tried to leave soundlessly but -

"POTTER!"

Snapes's face was twisted with fury as he quickly hid his leg. Harry gulped.

"I was wondering if - if I could I have my book back."

"GET OUT! _OUT_!"

Harry sprinted way as fast as he could before Snape could give him detention.

"Harry!" exclaimed Kalilina as Harry joined them. "Snape didn't kill you!"

"Did you get it?" Ron asked. "What's the matter?"

In a low whiser, Harry told them what he'd seen.

"You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past the three-headed dog at Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him - he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick _he _let the troll in, to make a diversion!"

Hermione's eyes were wide.

"No - he wouldn't," she said. "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe."

"Hermione, you do know Snape _hates _every student - except the Slythergits - right?" said Kalilina. "It's obvious he was setting the troll on anyone who would get to the thing that was being guarded."

"You think all teachers are saints are something, Hermione," snapped Ron. "I'm Kalilina and Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?"

That night, all 4 Gryffindors couldn't sleep - their minds were on what that thing was guarding.

* * *

The nexty morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone who were excited about the Quidditch match.

"You've got to eat some breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"Neither am I."

"Just a bit of toast," wheedled Hermione.

"Hermione, shush. I'm too busy being nervous to eat," mumbled Kalilina.

Both Kalilina and Harry felt terrible. In an hour's time they'd be walking onto the field.

"You two need your strength," said Seamus Finnigan. "Especially you, Harry. Seekers are always the ones who get clobbered by the other team."

"Thanks Seamus," mumbled Harry. Kalilina glared at the Scottish boy and rubbed Harry's back soothingly.

By eleven o' clock the who school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars. The seats were raised high in the air, but that did not mean it was easy to see what was going on.

Ron and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus, and Dean the West Ham fan up in the top row. As a surprise for Kalilina and Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of the sheets Scabbers had ruined. It said _Potter and Black for President_, and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione had performed a tricky little charm so that the paint flashed different colors.

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Harry, Kalilina and the rest of the team were changing into their scarlet Quidditch robes (Slytherin would be playing in green).

Wood cleared his throat for silence.

"Okay, men," he said.

"And women, don't forget women," said Kalilina.

"And women," Wood agreed. "This is it."

"The big one," said Fred Weasley.

"The one we've all been waiting for," said George.

"We know Oliver's speech by heart," Fred told the pair, "we were on the team last year."

"Shut up, you two," said Wood. "This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We;re going to win. I know it."

He gave them a look as to say, "Or else."

"Right. It's time. Good luck, all of you."

Kalilina felt as though she was about to faint as she followed closely behind the Weasley twins and Harry out onto the field, welcomed by cheers of the crowd.

Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, her broom in her hand.

"Now, I want a nice fair game, all of you," she said, once they were all gathered around her. She seemed to be talking particularly to Slytherin Captain, Marcus Flint, a fifth year. Out of the corner of their eyes, Harry and Kalilina saw the waving banner flashing, _Potter and Black for President_ over the crowd.

"Look, Kali, we've got fans," chuckled Harry. Kalilina grinned and formed her hands into a heart and putting it over her chest.

Because of this, they felt a lot more braver.

"Mount your brooms, please."

Kalilina, trembling, clambered onto her Nimbus Two thousand.

Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle.

Fifteeen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. (Technically only 14, though. Kalilina didn't go up too far.) They were off.

"And the Quaffle is taken immdeiately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too -"

"JORDAN!"

"Sorry, Professor."

Lee Jordan, the friend of Fred and George Weasley, was commentator for the match, and was being closely watched by Professor McGonagall.

"And she's really belting along there, a neat pass to Katie Bell - back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc- no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Kalilina Blackof Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goalposts but he's blocked by a second Bludger - sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which - nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Black's back in possesion of the Quaffle - even after that blow to the head, a clear field ahead and off she goes - she's really flying - dodges a speeding Bludger - the goaposts are ahead - come on, now, Black - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFFINDOR'S SCORE!"

Gryffindor's cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins. Kalilina fist pumped and roared, although her head pained her greatly, recieving pats on the back for her team mates.

"Budge up there, move along."

"Hagrid!"

Ron and Hermione squeezed together to give Hagrid enough space to be next to them.

"Bin watchin' from me hut," said Hagrid, patting an overlarge pair of binoculars around his neck, "But it isn't the same as bein' in the crowd. No sign of the Snitch yet, eh?"

"Nope," said Ron. "Harry hasn't had much to do yet."

"Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin'," said Hagrid, peering out his binoculars and looking skyward at the speck that was Harry.

Way above them, Harry was gliding over the game, looking for any sign of the Snitch. This was apart of his and Wood's game plan.

"Keep out of the way until you catch sight of the Snitch," Wood had said. "We don't want you attacked before you have to be."

When Kalilina had scored, Harry cheered and did a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. Now he was back to looking for the Snitch. Once he thought he had caught a glimpse of it, but it was just one of the Weasleys' wristwatches, and once Harry had narrowly missed a Bludger flying toward him like a cannonball and Fred Weasley came chasing after it.

"All right there, Harry?" he had time to yell, as he beat the Bludger furiously towards Marcus Flint.

"Slytherin in possesion," Lee Jordan was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys, and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the Snitch?"

This time, Harry was sure the gold was the Snitch. In a great rush of excitement he dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch - all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.

Harry was faster than Higgs - he could see the little round ball, wings fluttering, darting up ahead - he put on an extra spurt of speed -

WHAM! The Gryffindors roared in rage below - Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on dear life.

"OI! HE COULD'VE KILLED HIM!" bellowed Kalilina, in rage.

"Foul!" screamed the Gryffindors.

Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goalposts for Gryffindor. But in all the confusion, of course, the Golden Snitch had disappeared from sight once again.

Down in the stands, Dean Thomas was yelling, "Send him off, ref! Red card!"

"What are you talking about, Dean?" said Ron.

"Red card!" said Dean furiously. "In soccer you get shown the red card and you're out of the game!"

"But this isn't soccer, Dean," Ron reminded him.

Hagrid, however, agreed with Dean.

"They oughta change the rules, though. Flint coulda knocked Harry ouuta the air."

Lee Jordan was having a hard time not to take sides.

"So - after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating -"

"Jordan!" growled Professor McGonagall.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul -"

"_Jordan, I'm giving you one last chance -_"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Bell, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue to play, Gryffindor still in possesion."

It was Harry dodged another Bludger and Kalilina just passed the Quaffle to Angelina, that it happened. Their brooms gave a unexpected, frightening lurch. Kalilina let out a squeak of surprise, clinging quickly onto her broom.

It happened again. The two shared looks of worry. They had rode a broom - only during practice and such, but still - and they knew a broom wasn't supposed to lurch like that. It felt like brooms were trying to knock them off. Kalilina closed her eyes tightly, trying not to scream or hyperventilate.

Lee was still commentating.

"Slytherin in possesion - flint with the Quaffle - passes Johnson - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking, Professor - Slytherins score - oh no..."

The Slytherins cheered. No one seemed to have notice what was going on with Kalilina and Harry's brooms. It was carrying them higher and higher - much to the horror of Kalilina.

"Dunno what they think they're doing," Hagrid mumbled. He watched through his binoculars. "If I didn't know better, I'd say they'd lost control of their broom... but they can't have..."

It wasn't until Kalilina's scream pierced through the air that people noticed Harry and Kalilina's brooms acting weirdly. Kalilina pressed her whole body onto the broom, clinging onto for dear life. It was starting to spin and spin and she was having a hard time not throwing up. Harry had been tossed off and now he was holding on with one hand. Kalilina's broom lurched and she was hanging off by one leg.

"I'm going to die, I'm going to die. You see, I knew heights were going to kill me!" she wailed.

Hermione, in the stands, had noticed that across the way, it looked as though Snape was jinxing the two.

"He's doing something - jinxing the broom," she said.

"What should we do?"

"Leave it to me."

Hermione disappeared as Ron looked back up to the sky.

The Weasley twins had tried to help the two down, but everytime they did, the brooms would go higher and higher.

"Stop - stop!" cried Kalilina. "You're making it go higher. Stop!"

Marcus Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five times without anyone noticing. Not they cared anyway.

"Come on, Hermione, " Ron muttered desperately. Hermione fought her way across the stand to where Snape stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry as she knocked Professor Quirrel headfirst into the row in front. Reaching Snape, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few, well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand onto the hem of Snape's robes.

It took maybe thirty seconds or else for Snape to realize that he was on fire. A yelp told her that she had done her job. Scooping the fire off his robes and into the little jar in her pocket, she scrambled back along the row - Snape would never know.

It was enough. Harry and Kalilina had managed to get back onto their brooms.

"Neville, you can look!" Ron said. Neville had been sobbing into Hagrid's jacket for the last five minutes. Unknown to any of the Gryffindors, Malfoy had been panicing for the last five minutes.

"Oh, Merlin, is she okay? Is she okay?!" he asked, closing his eyes.

"Why don't you look for yourself, Draco," chuckled his best friend, Blaise Zabini. Draco forced his eyes open and sighed, seeing that Kalilina was okay.

"She's okay, she's okay," he muttered to himself. Blaise had a hard time keeping his laughter in.

Kalilina wiped her tears away quickly and sped off to win Gryffindor some more points. Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick - he hit the field on all fours - coughed - and something gold fell into his hands.

"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, waving it above his head. Although confused, Gryffindor's cheers and roars overbeared Slytherins maons and groans.

"He didn't _catch _it, he nearly _swallowed _it," Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it didn't matter - Harry hadn't broken any rules and Lee Jordan was still happily shouting the results - Gryffindor had won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Every one said that because of Harry and Kalilina, Gryffindor had won. But the two didn't hear any of it, though. They were being made tea by Hagrid in his hut, with Ron and Hermione.

"It was Snape, " Ron was explaining, "Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomsticks, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes of you two."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid, who hadn't anything said next to him in the stands. "Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"

Kalilina, Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at one another, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.

"i found out something about him," he told Hagrid. "He tried to get past that three-headed dog on Halloween. Ity bit him. We think ge was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Hagrid dropped his teapot.

"How do you know about Fluffy?" he said.

"_That beast has a name_?" squeaked Kalilina.

"Yeah - he's mine - bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year - I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the -"

"Guard the..?" said Kalilina eagerly. "The what, Hagrid? This is very vital information!"

"Now, don't ask me anymore," said hagrid gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."

"But Snape's trying to _steal _it."

"Rubbish," said Hagrid again. "Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort."

"So why did he just try to kill Kalilina and Harry then?" cried Hermione.

The afternoon's events surely changed her mind about the Potions professor.

"I know a jinx when I see one, hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I[m tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Hagrid hotly. "I don't know why Harry and Kalilina's brooms acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all three of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forghet what it's guardin' that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel -"

"Aha!" said Harry, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid looked furious with himself as the four Gryffindors smiled deviously.

* * *

**Chapter nine guys, can you believe it? -sigh- I really love Kalilina and I'll be sad when this series is done with... but let's not think about that at the moment!**

**Review! :D**

**P.S. Would you guys like if Kalilina responded to reviews instead of me? Review telling me if you would or wouldn't!**


	11. Christmas and Mirror of Erised

**Chapter, you all Hope you enjoy! Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All credit goes to J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

Christmas was arriving. One morning halfway through December, Hogwarts awoke to find several feet of snow on the grounds. The lake was frozen, Kalilina and the Weasley twins slid half way across it, and the Weasleys twins were given detention for bewitching snowballs to hit the back of Quirrell's head. That reminded Kalilina she had to still serve detention for Snape. So at the same time the twins had to serve detention, Kalilina served detention for Snape. Snape's detention wasn't all too exciting, she just cleaned out his storage room without magic. Oooh, scary. Notice all that sarcasm. But Kalilina had bumped into Pugsy Pugsyson - oops - Pansy Parkinson. The pug-faced girl warned Kalilina to stay away from her 'Dracie', and when Kalilina asked what the fuck that was - she still stood by the fact that everything in the wizarding world was a disease - Pansy responded 'the love of her life.' Kalilina concluded it had been Malfoy. That was the only person Pugsy - cough - _Pansy _- was actually interested in. Kalilina commented how she didn't have any feelings for the prick, nor was she trying to 'steal' him away, as Pansy had wrongly assumed. Then Pansy carried to question her about why he was so nervous at her first Quiddditch match and how he always brought the conversation to her. Kalilina honestly didn't have answer for that. She didn't even know. She responsded to Pansy with, 'You can have your ferret -faced, low-life, ugly arse, prick of a boyfriend. I don't want him nor does he want me. Good - I mean, _bad _day to you, Pugsy.' and swiftly turned around, making her robes swish behind her as she left the girl.

No one could wait for the winter holidays to start. The Gryffindor common room was nice and toasty, while the corridors became harshy, icy and better as they traveled to and from classes. To make matter's worse, Snape's classes were down in the dungeons. Where it seemed at least 40 degrees below 0 down there. Everyone had to huddle together, basically, just to keep warm. Kalilina had loudly commented that he needed to turn the heat up, to which she lost the House 5 points. No one was honestly surprised anymore - Kalilina would lose this House so points and earn so many detentions until the day she leaves this place for good. Which, is guaranteed to go down in history as 'The Day Hogwarts turned sane again.'

"I do feel sorry," said Draco Malfoy one Potion class, "for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

"Oooh, talking about yourself again, Malfoy? What, did your parents not love you at home?" snickered Kalilina, not looking up for chopping lion fish.

"Shut your mouth, Black," snapped Malfoy. "You know nothing about my family."

"Nor do you about mine, but yet you keep commenting on them," responded Kalilina, still not looking up, "Hypocritical much?"

He stayed silent, realizing it was actually true. But he erased the mere thought of believing he was wrong. He was a Malfoy. Malfoys aren't wrong. Who cares if he may have feelings - which he 95% _doesn't _- for the girl? Doesn't mean she has to be right.

He then tried to get everyone laughing about how a tree frog was going to replace Harry next and how they should put Longbottom on the team rather than have Kalilina. No one laughed - as he had hoped - so he went back to taunting Kalilina and Harry about having dead family members and having no where to spend Christmas at.

"Actually, Malfoy, we _do_ have a place to stay for Christmas," stated Harry, reading Kalilina's mind.

"Oh, yeah?" snorted Malfoy. "Where then, Potter?"

"Obviously here at Hogwarts," giggled Kalilina. "Blimey, it's like you've gotten even stupider since I sat next to you in Charms. '_Wingardium Leviosa! Wingardium Leviosa!_'. Honestly."

Draco sneered in her direction, to which she just blew a kiss in his direction.

And he would deny for the rest of his life that his heart skipped a beat when she did that.

It was true, though, that Harry and Kalilina were staying at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall came around a week prior, trying to find out who was staying at the castle for the holidays; the two signed up at once. They didn't regret it, why would they? They Dursleys wouldn't allow them to spend Christmas with them. They've had enough of them for 10 years, they were done. But the two didn't care, honestly. As long as they had each other, and their friends, they were all set. Ron and his brothers were staying at Hogwarts since their parents and sister were going to Romania to visit Charlie.

When they exited the dungeons at the end of Potions class, they were found they were blocked by a large fir tree. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom of the tree and loud puffing told them it was Hagrid.

"Hey, Hagrid, need any help with that?" asked Kalilina, prodding the three with her wand. She could just use _Wingardum Leviosa_ to levitate to wherever it had to be, right?

"Nah, I'm all right, thanks for the offer though."

"Excuse me," said a cold drawl coming from behind the four Gryffindors. "I've got places to be and that's not easy with a big oaf and Gryffindorks in my walking path."

"You can go a different way, Malfoy," glared Ron. Malfoy snickered.

"I'm not surprised at all that you're here, Weasley," sneered Malfoy, " Probably trying to earn yourself and your family some money, aren't you? Or are you this oaf's little prodigy? That hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family lives in."

Kalilina nor Harry bothered to stop Ron as he grabbed the front of Malfoy's robes. Unfortunately, for Ron, Snape came up just at that moment.

"WEASLEY!"

Ron grudgingly let go of Malfoy's robes.

"He was provoked, Professor Snape," said Hagrid, coming out from behind the tree slightly. "Malfoy was insultin' his family."

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said Snape, giving the large man a look. "Five pints from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful you don't lose any more. No move along, all of you."

"It wasn't even fighting," growled Kalilina to the other two. The boys nodded, glaring at the back of the retreating Snape.

"Hopefully I don't see you all," drawled Malfoy. "Crabbe. Goyle."

The two lumbering boys followed after their 'leader' and Hermione had to hold Kalilina back from running after the blond haired boy.

"I'll kill him. I swear to everything I own, I will get my chance and kill him," muttered Ron under his breath. Kalilina patted his arm, sympathetically.

"Malfoy isn't all that bad," said Hermione. Harry, Ron and Kalilina looked at her like she grew 14,000 heads.

"What?!" choked Harry.

"Malfoy, '_not bad_'?!" laughed Ron, bitterly.

"Hermione, are you suffering from brain damage?" asked Kalilina, taking a hold of said girl's head and shaking it. Hermione pushed Kalilina away and huffed.

"I guess I just don't see the bad side of him like you all do," she shrugged.

"Seriously, you have to be there when he insults us," said Harry.

"No, Harry, she can't," stated Kalilina. "Not until Malfoy insults her too, can she be there. If he hasn't insulted her yet and she's there when he insults us, she'll be a witness of a murder!"

The 4 Gryffindors burst into a fit of giggles.

"Now back to more serious matters," said Ron, suddenly going serious. "Who are we going to kill first? Malfoy or Snape?"

"Malfoy." replied Kalilina and Harry at the same time - an advantage of being able to read each other's minds - while Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, Malfoy," said Ron. "That way he won't snitch on us if we would've killed Snape first."

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "If we killed Snape first, even without proof, Malfoy would blame it on us. And somehow everyone would believe him."

"But if we do carry out with this - which I know we will - _I _get to kill Malfoy," smirked Kalilina. "You guys can take care of Snape. I've got Malfoy."

"Deal?"

"Deal."

They all put their hand into the middle except for -

"Hermione Granger, put your goddamn hand in the middle."

Hermione, with a playful eye roll, put her hand in the middle also.

"Good, it's settled. Now why don't we help Hagrid here," grinned Harry.

"I've told yeh before, I don' need no help. I've got it." answered Hagrid, grunting slightly.

"At least let us follow you to wherever your going, it's the least we can do," said Hermione.

"Yeah, all right. Just follow me to the Great Hall, looks a treat."

When the four entered with Hagrid, they looked around in awe. There were so many decorations! It just made the Hall a lot more lively and beautiful - as if it wasn't already.

"Ah, yes, Hagrid, put the last tree - can you put it in that far corner, please?"

The hall was truly magnificent. Festoons of holly and mistletoe hung all around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the rooms, some sparkling with tiny icicles, some glittering with hundreds of candles.

"How many days you got left until yer holidays?" Hagrid asked.

"Just one," answered Hermione. "And that reminds me - you guys, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library."

"Oh, yeah, we should," agreed Ron, tearing his eyes away from the decorations.

"The library?" said Hagrid, following them out the hall. "Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?"

"Oh, it's not for school. No one does anything for school at this time, Hagrid," chcukled Kalilina. "Ever since you told us about Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to search him up."

"You _what_?" Hagrid looked shocked - although, you couldn't tell under all of his hair. "Listen here - I've told yeh - drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'."

"We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all. No harm in that," said Hermione.

"Unless you'd like to tell us now and save us the trouble?" said Harry. "We've looked for him everywhere - literally - and we haven't found him yet."

"Yeah, come on, Hagrid. You've already told us some things," said Kalilina. "A little more won't hurt."

"I'm sayin' nothin'," said Hagrid flatly.

"We'll find out for ourselves, then," said Ron and they all left to the library, leaving a digruntled Hagrid in their wake.

Flamel hadn't been in any of the books they had searched. It was really making things harder for the 4 Gryffindors.

"What are you looking for, boy?"

"Nothing," said Harry.

Madam Pince the librarian swiped at him with her feather duster.

"You'd better get out, then. Go on - out!"

When Harry arrived in the corridor outside the library, he found Kalilina leaning against the wall. She told him that Madam Pince had kicked her out because she had been throwing books at Malfoy, who had supposedly been in the library. They sat together, waiting for the other two to exit the library as well. They weren't hopeful that they would find any information on Flamel. Minutes later, Ron and Hermione came out shaking their heads. They trudged off to lunch, a bit disappointed.

"You need to keep looking when I leave, alright?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything important."

"You could ask your parents if they know anything about Flamel," said Ron. "I'm pretty sure it would be safe."

"Very safe, both my parents are dentists," said Hermione.

* * *

Once the holidays started, Kalilina, Ron and Harry had no motivation to go to the library and look for any more information on Flamel. They were too busy being comfortable in the common room. It was nearly deserted, meaning they had it mostly to themselves. Kalilina was the only girl in her dorm left, so you could say she was siced. They sat by the hour eating anything that they could - bread, English muffins, marshmallows - and making a list of different ways they could kill Malfoy and Snape.

Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. He didn't bother teaching Kalilina because the game was already violent and with Kalilina playing, she could get dangerous ideas.

On Christmas Eve, Harry and Kalilina went to bed jsut excepting fun and happiness tomorrow, no presents. Kalilina woke up unsually early - well it _was _Christmas. Who wouldn't wake up early on Christmas? She let out a loud gasp when she saw a pile of gifts at the end of her bed. She opened her first present, which was from Hagrid. It was a wooden owl. She pressed the button on the top of its head and smiled widely when it played owl noises. Sure, she didn't have an owl like many others at the school, but this was as close as she was gonna get. And she wouldn't change it for the world.

The next present she opened was from the twins. She had become really close with them and helped on some of their pranks. She giggled when she read the title of the book. _Pranks, Jokes, oh my!_. She knew she would've gotten like that from those two. Luckily, she had gotten them something similar.

She had sneaked into Hogsmeade with them last Hogsmeade trip. She had gotten people she was close with a present. She had gotten Hermione a necklace that said very clearly, '_I may be a nerd, but you love it._' She also got the girl a shirt that said '_Tease me now, but I'll rule the world someday_' When Kalilina saw them, they screamed Hermione and she knew she had to get them. Then she got Ron a bracelet that she told the jewerly guy to carve. She made him carve '_Food besties for life' _on the bracelet. She thought it really fit her and Ron, since they both had a love for food.

Then, last but definitely not least, she got Harry a bracelet - she didn't care if he was a boy - that said Potter on his and Black on hers and when connected, the bracelet would light up and underneath their names would say 'Connected for life'. She thought it was a great present.

The next present she had opened was from Ron. It was a part of a necklace apparently and it was part of a peanut butter sandwich. Attached to the present was a note that read:

_Merry Christmas!_

_I know you may be confused. _

_I have the other part of the necklace - and even though guys don't wear them, i'll do it, for you._

_Mine is jelly. Peanut and Jelly, get it? Yeah, corny but it was the best I could come up with._

_It didn't cost that much, don't worry about all that._

_I guess this is a thank you for being a great friend and beating up Malfoy and teasing him all the time._

_From Ron_

Kalilina smiled, tears brimming her eyes. Oh, how she loved Ron right now. This was so sweet. She set down his present, as she had done with the previous and opened the next one. It was from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.

It was nothing special, just fifty pence. Wow, how special. But it's the thought that counts, right?

The next one was from Hermione. It had two things in the parcel. One was a crown. It was extravagant, too. It had an emerald in the center and the crown spread out from there. Then their was a shirt that said, '_I don't want to be a princess, I just want to be a Queen_.' Kalilina smiled, laughing. She set the crown on her messy black hair, and continued to open her other presents.

Then she opened the next person, curiously, for she did not know who it was from. She opened it and squealed. It was a fluffy sweater that was lavender - which was her favorite color - and held the initials '_KB_' on them. She slipped the sweater over her head, tears now falling down her face. She was so happy and..well, shocked. She had never had so many present in her life. She also never had so many people who cared enough to get her presents. It was all so surreal, you know.

She opened the next present, and gasped louder than she had when she had seen all the presents at her bed.

There was a silver necklace with a lavender stone in the center. There was also a pair of earrings and a bracelet. There was a short note that came along with the presents.

_You may or may not know me_

_Merry Christmas_

_Don't try to figure out who this is, just accept the presents_

Kalilina raised an eyebrow. She wanted to thank the person, but she didn't recognise the messy scrawl. She shrugged and set the jewerly, along with her other presents, on her night stand. At this time, Starshine crawled onto Kalilina's lap.

"Merry Christmas, Starshine," grinned Kalilina.

"Mew," responded Starshine and nuzzled into her owner.

Kalilina stroked Starshine as she opened the last present.

Of course, it was from Harry.

Now the tears were really speeding down her face. He had gotten her a ring. It was a ring that held a lavender stone - so much of her favorite color! - and inside the stone in white letters read, '_Queen Kalilina Persephone Black_'. She read the note that he had sent with it.

_Dear Kali,_

_Merry Christmas!_

_Do you like your present? I sneaked into Hogsmeade with the twins for it. I really hope you like it._

_If you haven't yet, touch the stone with your finger -_

Kalilina furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but listened. She touched it and the stone emitted a purplish dust and in front of her was a hologram of her and Harry, hugging. Kalilina was shedding crocidile tears now. How was she blessed with such wonderful people? She continued to read the letter.

_ - You like that? I asked Hermione to look up how to do this, so I bloody well hope you like this._

_I know I haven't got you a present in 10 years, and now I need to repay you for all those missed years._

_If I could've, I would've got you a present each Christmas._

_Merry Christmas, Kali_

_Love your best friend, Harry_

Kalilina smiled really wide. She placed the ring on her finger and smiled down at it. She put on her pajama pants and sped to the boys' dormitory. When she found it was locked, she used her wand to unlock it and sped in.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, BICTHES!"

She tackled the two boys into hugs, knocking her crown off.

"I take it you liked our presents?" chuckled Ron.

"Liked them?" choaked Kalilina. "I loved them!"

She helped them up.

"Really, you guys, I'm really thankful," she cried. "I don't why I'm crying - blimey, I look so stupid, probably - I just, I feel loved. And I haven't felt that in 10 years."

"Shh," said Harry, wiping away her tears. "It's Christmas, no need for tears."

She nodded and smiled.

"So, how do you like my presents to you guys?" she asked.

"I can't believe we both basically got each other something about food!" laughed Ron.

"We have food telepathicy," smirked Kalilina, hugging Ron and ruffling his already messy hair.

"I loved your present, Kali," smiled Harry. "Really, thanks."

"You're my best friend, Harry - basically my brother - how could I not?" she smiled and they hugged.

"Wait, wait. Did we all sneak in with Fred and George to get each other presents?" asked Ron.

"I think we did," chuckled Harry. They all fell out laughing.

"Hey, what's the crown?" asked Ron, pointing to Kalilina's crown on the floor.

"Oh, that's from Hermione. She also got me a shirt," said Kalilina, placing the crown on her head.

"That's nice of her," said Harry. Kalilina nodded.

"And I see my mum made you a Weasley sweater also," grumbled Ron.

"I think it's lovely," smiled Kalilina. "And my favorite color too! How did she know?"

"Well I asked Harry and I told my mom," he muttered, turning pink.

"Aww, how sweet," she said. She told them of all the present she got, and in turn they told her what they got. She even told them about the mysterious sender of the jewerly sent to her. They were just as confused as her.

"Harry, what's that?" asked Kalilina, through a mouthful of fudge, pointing to a silky cloth on the floor.

"I don't know," responded Harry. "I was just about to ask Ron when you came busting in."

"That's, at least I think that's a .." Ron stared at in awe. "Invisibilty Cloack."

"Oooh, cool! It makes you invisible, right?" asked Kalilina, seizing it from Harry and slipping it over her. She looked down and saw that everything except for her head was gone.

"That's so cool!" gawked Harry, taking it back from Kalilina.

"Oh, look it's got a note!" said Ron suddenly.

Harry seized the letter and read it:

_Your father left this in my possesion before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well._

_A Very Merry Christmas to you_

There was no signature or anything to hint at who the letter had been from.

"I'd give _anything _to have one," said Ron. "_Anything_. What's the matter?"

"Nothing," said Harry, distantly. Kalilina looked at him weirdly. Harry felt strange. Who had sent the Cloak? Had it _really _belonged to his father?

Before anyone else said anything, Fred and George burst through the door. Harry quickly stuffed the Cloak under his bed.

"Merry Christmas, you three!"

"Hey, look - Harry and Kalilina's got a Weasley sweater too!"

Kalilina puffed out her chest, proudly.

"By the way -"

Kalilina laughed as she was tackled to the ground by the 13 year old boys.

"Thank for the present," said Fred.

"You're welcome," laughed Kalilina. "Now can you get off before I die of suffocation?"

The boys helped her up and laughed.

"You're lucky Harry and Ron are here, or else we would've killed you," said George.

Kalilina gave them a look of mock horror and hid behind Ron.

"Now, you two," said Fred to Harry and Ron, "put on your sweaters. They're lovely and warm."

"But I don't want to," whined Ron.

"Ronald Weasley put it on at this moment, your mother spent time on this, you better bloody fucking wear it," demanded Kalilina, smacking Ron on the shoulder. Fred and George grinned as Ron grudgingly put on the sweater.

"I hate marroon," mumbled Ron, but everyone else ignored him.

"Now, coem on, Harry, your turn," said Kalilina, throwing his sweater at him.

"Keep your hair on, I'm going, I'm going," said Harry, slipping the emerald sweater of his head.

"What's all this noise?"  
Percy Weasley stood in the doorway, looking diapproving. Kalilina rolled her eyes. She didn't like Percy all too much. He was too prude and didn't know how to have fun.

"P for prefect! Get it on, Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry and Kalilina got one." said Fred, seizing the Weasley sweater from Percy.

"But - but - I - don't -" said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the sweater over his head.

"And you're not sitting with your little prefect friends today," said George. "Christmas is for family time."

Fred and George frog-marched Percy from the room, and Kalilina, Harry and Ron sang Christmas tunes, following behind them.

* * *

The Christmad dinner was magnificent. Kalilina even managed to get Snape drunk and took a picture with him. After dinner, her Fred and George took Professor Snape for a 'walk'.

"So, Professor," said Fred, nochalantly, "having a good Christmas so far?"

"Sssoo, loovely," hiccuped Snape.

"Now, Professor, you seem a little...drunk," chuckled George.

"Nnope, noot druuunk," said snape. "I'm sooober as they come."

"Are you sure, Professor?" asked Kalilina.

"Positiiive," responded Snape, hiccuping at the end.

"To prove it, you'll wear this and strut around the castle in it, right?" asked Fred.

"Yesss," responded Snape.

"Here you go," grinned Kalilina, cheekily, handing Snape a bag. Snape took them and slinked off to his chambers. The three laughed loudly and went back to dinner. After those cameras got Snape in that outfit, he'd be the laughing stock of the school.

Harry, Kalilina and the Weasleys spent an afternoon having a very 'serious' snowball fight on the grounds. At some point, Kalilina sneaked back into the castle and put numerous snowballs into Snape's chambers as well as 3rd year Gryffindor boys' dormitories. Wait until they melted, which wasn't going to be until the students got back. They wouldn't see the snowballs, but _would _see the water in the dorm. Kalilina smirked. being smart had its advantages. Kalilina returned back to the snowball fight, until they all went back to the Gryffindor fires, cold and wet. Harry played chess with Ron, and he lost horribly. Kalilina played Exlpoding Snaps with Fred and George.

They were all full, and sleepy. After 30 minutes of watching Percy chase Fred and George around for stealing his prefect badge, they all trudged up to bed.

It had a perfect Christmas Day for Kalilina and Harry. Kalilina was way too tired to do anything, so she went to bed almost instantly.

* * *

"You found _what_?" asked Kalilina the next morning.

"This mirror, called the Mirror of Erised," responded Harry.

"Can't believe you didn't take me," grumbled Ron.

"Or me," pouted Kalilina.

"Don't worry, I'm going again tonight, you two can come with me."

That night, the three set off to find the mirror. It was much slower with Kalilina and Ron under it now.

"I'm freezing. Let's just forget it and go back." said Ron.

"_No!_" hissed Harry. "it's around here somewhere."

They reached the door finally, and Harry ran to the mirror.

"See?" he said. "There they are."

"I don't see a thing."

"Wait, wait, wait. Move, Harry."

Kalilina stood in front of the mirror and froze. There she saw her mother. Her mother had long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She smiled at Kalilina. Next to the woman was a man. He had long hair that reached his shoulders. He was smiling, too, his grey eyes sparkling with love and mischief.

"You see them, Kalilina, right?"

"Mum, Dad," whispered Kalilina. They smiled at her, widely. She turned around, hoping to see them, but only saw Harry and Ron looking at her, confused. She turned back around to face her parents. She looked away, it hurt her to know she would probably never see her parents in real life.

"Did you see my parents, Kali?"

Kalilina had never seen Harry so determined. She shook her head, mutely. She sat near the door, pulling her knees up to her chest.

She wanted to see her parents, but she never would. She heard a noise and stood up quickly.

"Quick!"

They threw the Cloak over themselves and held their breaths as Mrs. Norris came around the door. She left and they let their breaths out.

"This isn't safe - Filch could be coming now. Come on."

And they all rushed out of the room.

* * *

The snow was't melted by the next morning.

"Want to play chess, Harry?" said Ron.

"No."

"Why don't we all go visit Hagrid?" suggested Ron.

"You can go...I've got...things to do.." replied Kalilina, getting up and walking away. She still saw that haunting image whenever she closed her eyes. The haunting image of her parents. She'd never be able to see them. They were taken away from her. Cruelly and most likely, painfully. She went up to her dorm where she just crawled into bed, with Starshine stuck to her side, and fell asleep, letting a few tears fall.

* * *

**Chapter 10, guise! can you believe it? 6 more chapters until first year is done! I honestly cannot wait until 4th year. c: So much shit is going to go down...that's 2 years away, let's not think _that _far ahead!**

**Reviews are more wanted than Harry, Ron and Kalilina want to kill Snape and Malfoy! :D**

**By the way, I messed up on the chapters, so I suggest you go back and read chapter 3 and 4 again, because I mushed those two together. So now, there is 11 chapters instead of 10. Hope you don't get _too _confused.**


	12. The Kiss and the Match

**Chapter 12, ya'll! 5 more chapters left. It's so surreal. Anywhoo, Harry Potter universe does not belong to me. It belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy chapter 12!**

* * *

Harry had told Ron and Kalilina of how he went to the mirror a third time and Dumbledore had been there, and how the man had convinced Harry noto return again. The rest of holidays passed without Harry going off to find the mirror again. Kalilina recovered from seeing her parents. She should be happy that she knew what her parents looked like, but in all truth, it made that hole inside of her noticeable.

Hermione came back the day before term wearing the presents Kalilina had given her, and was torn. She was horrorfied at the thought of them - mostly Harry - being out of bed, roaming the schools three nights in a row ("You're lucky Filch hadn't caught you!") and disappointed all three of them hadn't find anything at all on Flamel.

They almsot gave up on finding Flamel; it was a lost cause. But Kalilina and Harry knew that they had read the name somewhere. Once term started back up again, they went back to searching for Flamel during breaks, but Kalilina and Harry had less time than the other two with practice and all.

Wood was working the team harder than he had before. Even the heavy rain that replaced the melted snow had replaced the snow hadn't dampened his spirits - as much as everyone hoped. The Weasley twins teased Wood about how he was becoming a fanatic. But it was kind of important to be practicing so hard. If they won their next match, against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the House Championship for the first time in seven years.

Then, during one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team horrible news. He had just yelled at Kalilina and the twins - the twins had been throwing Kalilina from broom to broom - and told them to stop messing around.

"Will you stop messing around!" he yelled. "That's exactly the sort of things that'll lose us the match! Snape's refereeing this time, and he'll find any reason to knock of points for Gryffindor!"

Kalilina choked as she fell mid-air. She landed in the mud and continued to choke.

"_What?!_" she screeched.

"_Snape's_ refereeing?" spluttered George Weasley. "When's he ever refereed a Quidditch match? He's not going to be fair if we might overtake Slytherin."

The rest of the team landed on the field to complain, too.

"It's not _my _fault," said Wood. "I didn't want him to referee! We've just got to make sure we play a nice clean game, so Snape can't find a reason to pick on us."

The rest of the team hung back to talk, as usual, at the end of practice, but Kalilina and Harry went back up to Gryffindor Tower. Ron and Hermione were playing chess, and Hermione was losing horribly. But it was doing her some good, losing.

"Shh, don't say anything," said Ron when Harry and Kalilina sat down. "I need to concen -" He looked at Harry's face then at Kalilina's.

"What's wrong with you two - and why are you so muddy?"

Kalilina and Harry, in a low voice, hastily told Hermione and Ron about Snape's burning desire to be next match's referee.

"Don't play," said Hermione at once.

"Say you've caught the flu," said Ron.

"Pretend to break your leg," Hermione suggested.

"_Really _break your leg," said Ron. "Oh! Or you can blame Malfoy for breaking your leg!"

"I _have _to play," said Harry. "If I don't play, Gryffindor can't play at all. There isn't a reserve Seeker."

"I don't _have _to play," grinned Kalilina. "There's a reserve Chaser."

At that moment Neville toppled into the common room. It was a mystery how he got in because he legs were tied together. The whole common room burst into laughter - save for Hermione and Kalilina - and the two girls went to help the poor boy. Kalilina silenced the still laughing common room with a glare. She helped Neville up while Hermione preformed the counter-curse to the jinx put on Neville: the Leg-Locker Curse. His legs sprung apart.

"Who did this to you?" demanded Hermione, leading him over to Harry and Ron.

"Malfoy," said Neville shakily. Kalilina huffed and stood up and made her way to the portrait hole.

"Where are you going?" called Ron.

"Malfoy can fuck with me, but I refuse to let him fuck with any one of my friends," was all she said before leaving. She had a feeling that Malfoy was still near the library, seeing if anyone would come to get 'revenge' on him for what he did to Neville. He was only expecting Ron and Harry, truthfully. But he wasn't prepared to see Kalilina glowering at him.

"Come to get 'revenge' on me?" snickered Malfoy, his two idiot of bodyguards snickering as well.

"No, just to talk," she replied simply. Malfoy raised an eyebrow, quite shocked at how she didn't want to at least yell at him. He stared at her hesitantly, making sure she wasn't going to blow at him. She stood there, her arms crossed, with a bored expression on her face.

"Okay, fine," he said after a minute.

"Are you going to call off your dogs are not?" Kalilina said, jerking her head towards the two large boys. " I hardly find it neccesary to have them here if all we are doing is talking."

"Crabbe. Goyle. Go back to the common room," ordered Malfoy. They looked a bit skepictical. "Now."

The two lumbering boys shuffled off back to the dungeons.

"Why do you find the need to hurt my friends, Malfoy?" Kalilina said.

"Longbottom is your _friend_?" snorted Malfoy. "Before you know it, he's having a crush on you!"

"And this any of your business because...?" said Kalilina.

"I'm just saying, Longbottom will crush on you at one point," Malfoy stated.

"Kind of like you?" smirked Kalilina.

"_I _don't want a filthy blood-traitor like you," sneered Malfoy. "It'd be a disgrace to my family name."

"Oh, yes. Like your family is all mighty and wonderful. Have you forgotten, _I _am apart of the Black family, which I recall is the foundation to all the pure-bloods in the Wizarding World." smirked Kalilina, even wider now.

"I'm apart of the Black family too," smirked Malfoy.

"Yeah, but not directly. The only reason you're related to the Black family is through your mother," said Kalilina.

"Still. I was born to both a Black and a Malfoy. That makes me twice as mighty than you," said Malfoy, puffing out his chest.

"So?" cackled Kalilina. "I was born to a Black and a McKinnon. Come on, that makes me a lot mightier than you."

"We kind of have a lot in common..." said Malfoy to himself mostly.

"Not really," said Kalilina. "Anyway, you steered me off the main purpose I was here. Don't fuck with Neville, don't fuck with Harry, don't fuck with Ron, don't fuck with Hermione...or you'll be fucking with me also."

Kalilina turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist.

"Um, Malfoy what are you doing?" demanded Kalilina.

"You know that jewerly from the mysterious sender...?" he said, caustiously.

"Yeah, I still haven't - wait a second," she said slowly. "How do you know about that?"

Malfoy's face looked paniced for a brief second. "Oh. My roomate. Obsesses over you, literally."

"Right, anyway...I'm going to go now," said Kalilina, looking at him suspiciously. She was trying to remove his hand from around her wrist, but he wasn't budging. He pulled her closer and she involuntarily let a gasp. Blue met grey and it was like time froze. She could hear him gulp - that's how bloody close they were! - and his eyes glanced down at her lips.

'_Oh hell. What the - what is this?! Malfoy better not be doing what I think he's doing. He isn't going to -_' Kalilina's thought were cut off.

Cut off by what you may ask? Cut off by Malfoy's lips of course. She hated to admit it, but Malfoy's lips were incredibly soft. Involunatrily, her eyes closed and she kissed back.

'W_ait..wait, no. I hate him. He thinks he's better than me! He insults my family..and my friends! Who cares if he has amazingly soft lips...you hate this prick, Kali!'_

Kalilina opened her eyes and pushed Malfoy away with her all her might. Malfoy looked surprised with himself and at her. They both stood there, looking at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Um, right," coughed Kalilina. "That meant nothing, by the way. I still hate you and you ferret arse. Good night, Malfoy."

She turned and walked back to Gryffindor Tower, refusing to touch her lips that were now tingling. When she entered the common room, her three friends let out a sigh of relief.

"I thought you'd never come back!" said Harry.

"Did you kill him and throw his body somewhere?" said Ron, hopefully.

"As much I would've loved that, no," laughed Kalilina. She laughed even harder at Harry and Ron's crestfallen faces.

"So what _did _happen?" asked Hermione eagerly.

"I just talked to him," replied Kalilina simply.

"You..._talked_?" said Ron, gawking.

"Yeah, and I threatened him" she said. At least she was telling the truth. She _had _threatened him that he fucked with any of her friends, he'd be fucking with her too.

"Whew," breathed Harry. "I thought you just _talked _to him. At least you insulted him. Or I would've thought you were coming down with the flu!"

"Yeah, Kalilina Black _not _threatening Malfoy, that'd be the day!" laughed Ron. Kalilina laughed half-heartedly.

"Anyway, so what happened while I was gone?" asked Kalilina, trying to draw the attention from herself.

"Oh, right!" said Hermione. "Well we found out that Nicolas Flamel worked with Dumbledore in alchemy."

"And I missed the discovery?!" whined Kalilina. "Goddamn Malfoy...and his bloody soft lips..."

"What?"

"What else did you find out?" Kalilina asked quickly, ignoring Harry's weird look at her.

"I was just about to get the book when you came in," said Hermione. "Stay put!"

She dashed upstairs and came back a few moments later with a thick book.

"I forgot to look in here!" she breathed excitedly. "I got this from the library for some light reading."

"Hermione, I know how you love reading and all," said Kalilina, looking at huge book. "but that huge fucking book is not '_light_' reading."

But Hermione shushed her and flicked frantically through the book.

At last, it seemed she had finally found what she was looking for.

"I knew it! I _knew _it!"

"Oh, so can we speak now?" said Ron sarcastically. Hermione ignored him.

"Nicolas Flamel," she paused dramatically, "is the _only known maker of the sorcerer's stone_!"

Kalilina gasped. But Harry and Ron looked at the two girls, confused.

"The what?" they said.

"God, I have dumbasses for best friends," mumbled Kalilina.

"Just read that there," said Hermione.

She passed the book to the two boys, and Harry and Ron read:

_The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Sorcerer's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. the Stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal._

_There have been amny reports of the Sorcerer's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicolas Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight)._

_"_See?" said Hermione, once the two had finished. "The dog must be guarding the Sorcerer's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe, because they're friends and he knew someone wasgoing after it, that's why the Stone was moved out of Gringotts!"

"No wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"

That was enough to make all 4 Gryffindors fall out laughing.

* * *

The next morning in DADA, while copying down notes, Hermione and Kalilina, as well Harry and Ron were discussing what they'd do with a Stone. Hermione said she'd buy all bookstores in the world. Kalilina rolled her eyes at that. But then a thought hit her. The Qudditch match tomorrow.

"I'm going to pla," Harry told Ron and Hermione after class. "If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them..it'll wipe the smiles off their faces if we win."

"I'm going just to give Harry some moral support," grinned Kalilina. "Plus, I didn't break my leg in time, so if I did it now, they'd know I did it just to get out of the game. So, I'm playing."

"Just as long as we aren't wiping you off the field," said Hermione.

"Thanks Hermione, you really know how to calm a girl down," said Kalilina sarcastically.

"No problem," grinned Hermione cheekily. Kalilina glared at her.

When Ron and Hermione wished them good luck the next afternoon, Harry and Kalilina were wondering if the two they'd ever seem them again. This match was a lot more nerve wracking than usual. How can you not be freaking out when _Snape _- the Professor who hated Gryffindors - is refeering?! Kalilina was walking around during Wood's pep talk; she couldn't find it in herself to sit down.

Ron and Hermione, meanwhile, had found a place in the stands next to Neville, who couldn't understand why they looked so worried, or why they had their wands with them. Unknown to Kalilina and Harry, Ron and Hermione had secretly been practicing the Leg-Locker Curse. The idea had developed from Malfoy and they were planning to use on Snape, if he showed any signs of wanting to hurt their two best friends.

"Don't forget, it's _Locomotor Motris_," Hermione muttered to Ron.

"I _know_," Ron snapped. "No one likes a nag."

That earned him a great whack to the head by Hermione. If Kalilina had been their to witness it, she would've congratulated Hermione.

Back in the locker room, Wood had taken Harry and Kalilina aside.

"Look, Black, I can see you're nervous," he said to Kalilina.

"How can you tell?" she said.

"You're shaking like a leaf," he stated. "You'll be fine, you know. You did brilliant in the first match of the season - even after that blow to the head by the Bludger. Usually, someone around your age would've been taken to the Hospital Wing, but you took the pain and continued to play. You're a tough player, I know you can do it. Just play clean so Snape can't find a reason to go hard on us."

Kalilina nodded, feeling slightly more confident. Then Wood turned to Harry.

"Don't want to pressure you, Potter, but if we ever need an early capture of the Snitch it's now. Finish the game before Snape can favor Hufflepuff too much."

"The whole school's out there!" said Fred Weasley, peering out of the door. "Even - _blimey_ - Dumbledore's come to watch!"

Kalilina and Harry perked up at this information.

"Dumbledore?" they said before dashing to the door to look out. Fred had been right. The silver beard was unmistakenable.

"We're saved, Harry! Saved! Hallelujah!" cried Kalilina, wrapping Harry in a bone-crushing embrace.

"We aren't going to die today!" cheered Harry, hugging her back. The rest of the team looked at them weirdly. They both coughed and started whistling nonchalantly.

As the teams marched onto the field, Snape looked as though he would kill someone. Something Ron noticed, too.

"I've never seen him look so mean," he told Hermione. "Look, they're off! Ouch!"

Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. Guess who?

Malfoy. Uh oh, some shit's about to go down in the Gryffindor stands.

Kalilina and Harry payed no attention at what was brewing in the Gryffindor stands. They were focusing on scoring and finding the snitch, respectively.

'_So, Kali_,' started Harry. '_What really happened between you and Malfoy?_'

'_Really? This is not a good time to be talking about this!_' Kalilina growled back.

'_Just answer the question,_'

'_I told you. I threatened him, that's it._'

'_You're lying. I thought you'd be smart enough to know that I could tell when you're lying. I've known you for 11 years and counting!_'

'_I'm not lying, Harry. Now shut it, you prick. I'm trying to concentrate._'

'_I have all the time in the world._'

'_That's bloody fucking fantastic for you. I'm Chaser, you idiot, so I can't idle around like someone I know._'

'_You still haven't answered my question._'

'_And what question is that?_'

'_What really happened between you and Malfoy?_'

'_You really want to know?_'

'_I would think since we're basically brother and sister, that wouldn't even be a question._'

'_Fine. Malfoy kissed me and kissed back for a brief second before I pushed him away. It meant nothing and I still hate him like before the kiss. There, happy?_'

'_WHAT?!_'

'_What?_'

'_You aren't lying to me, are you?_'

'_No, Harry. I'm not._'

'_Good. 'Cause I was going to kick your arse, for liking him, and kicking his arse, for making you like him._'

'_Calm down Mr. Protective. I don't like Malfoy nor will I ever. I'd rather kiss Snape then do that._'

'_That's the Kalilina I know and love._'

'_Yeah, 'cause bitches love me._'

'_Oi, don't get too big-headed there._'

'_If I wasn't too big-headed I wouldn't be Kalilina, now would I?_'

'_It's funny how that's so accurate._'

'_Harry! I think I just saw the Snitch!_'

'_Where?!_'

'_Look for it, you dumbass, you're the Seeker!_'

Harry glared at her as he looked for the flash of gold. He found it and dived. Kalilina continued playing Chaser, looking at Harry out the corner of her eyes every so often. Then she spotted a..disturbance in the Gryffindor stands. She narrowed her eyes to see that Neville looked as though he was knocked out. Ron was taking on Malfoy.

"AIM FOR THE BALLS, RON! AIM FOR THE BALLS!" she bellowed. That earned her somce weird looks from many students and almost every professor. Kalilina waved energetically to Hermione - whom seemed oblivious to the fight occuring behind her - who waved just energetically back. Kalilina was sure Hermione was happy that Kalilina nor Harry had died yet. The whole Gryffindor stands roared as Harry held up the Golden Snitch. Kalilina raced towards him on her broom, and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"WE DIDN'T DIE!" they roared together. They jumped down from their brooms a feet away from the grounds and were enveloped by many congratulations and cheers. Mostly to Harry, though. He _had _caught the Snitch that ended the game. But people still congratulated Kalilina for scoring and such.

Kalilina heard in the locker room that there was going to be a party. Never had Kalilina been to a party, so she ditched Harry - although she asked for his consent to go first. Sometimes, Harry acted like a bloody father sometimes! - and went to the party. The party was fun. It was lively, fun, and crazy. Kalilina thought that her first party had been a blast.

* * *

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione squeaked when she saw him.

"We won! You won! We won!" shouted Ron, giving Harry a hardy slap on the back. "And I gave Malfoy a black eye, and Neville tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle on his own! He's still out cold but Madam Pomfrey said he'll be all right - talk about showing Slytherin! Everyone's waiting for you in the common room - I swear Kalilina was the wildest there - we're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and things from the kitchens."

"Yeah, Harry!" cheered Kalilina. "You should've came back straight away! That party was a blast!"

"Never mind that now," said Harry breathlessly. "Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this..."

He made sure Peeevs wasn't inside the room before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he'd seen and heard.

"So, we were right, it _s _the Sorcerer's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy - and eh said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus' - I reckon there are some other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Sna[pe needs to break through -"

"So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?" said Hermione, gasping.

"No offense, but fat chance that's happen," scoffed Kalilina.

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," said Ron.

* * *

**Welp chapter 12 has arrived, everyone! What d'you think? By the way, about that kiss, I feel like people won't like it. I mean the only reason I put it in was because...well this _is _a Draco/OC story, right? So I thought I needed to put something Draco/OC like in there. But because of that kiss, I'm already planning that Kalilina'll have a boyfriend 2nd year. MUAHAHAHAHA PREPARE FOR JEALOUS DRACOOO... -cough- Anywhooo, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! :D**


	13. Getting and Ditching Norbert

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! :D Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter universe. Not moi, unfortunately.**

* * *

Quirrell seemed a lot braver than what they had thought. In the weeks followed he seemed to be getting paler and thinner, but he did not look as though he would crack yet.

Every any one of them passed the third-floor corridor, they would press their ears to the door to make sure Fluffy was still in there growling. Snape was a lot angrier than usual, so they knew the Stone was still safe. Anytime one of them saw Quirrell, they would give encouraging smiles and snap at anyone who made fun of him.

Kalilina and Hermione, however, were the least bit concerned about the Stone. They had started retreating to the library early during dinner and started writing down note cards a lot more. Harry and Ron were okay with it - if they hadn't been nagged to do the same.

"Exams are ages away, why do you need to study _now_?"

"Ten weeks, you idiots!" snapped Kalilina. "Ten flipping weeks! Right now, it's almost as important as Flamel."

"Why are you two studying for anyway?" said Ron. "Hermione will pass with perfect marks and Kalilina will pass with okay if not perfect marks too."

"You know, Ron," sighed Kalilina. "Just shut up before I rip your balls off and feed them to the Giant Squid."

"Shut up!" snapped Hermione. "You two - leave. Me and Kalilina actually want to pass first year and move on to second year. Look! Now we only have 29 minutes until break is over!"

The two girls let out a frustrated growl and the boys effectively moved away, not wanting to face the wrath.

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to agree with Kalilina and Hermione. They piled so much homework on them during the Easter holidays that Christmas was much more enjoyable. It was hard to relax when Hermione was forcing you to recite twelve uses of dragon's blood and Kalilina forcing you to turn something into a pin. Harry and Ron, reluctantly, spent most of their time in the library to try to please the two girls.

"I'd rather fail then pack all this information in my head," Ron groaned one afternoon. He threw his quill aside and ran to the window, sighing longily. Harry had been searching up "dittany" in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _and didn't look up until he heard Ron say, "Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?"

Hagrid shuffled from behind a bookshelf, hiding something behind his back.

"Jus' lookin," he said in a shifty voice that instantly made them suspicious. "An' what're you lot up ter?" He suddenly looked suspicious. "Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?"

"Pssh, we found out about him _ages _ago," said Ron, puffing out his chest impressively. "And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Sorcerer's St -"

"_Shhh!_" Hagrid shushed him quickly, looking to make sure no one had heard them. "Don' go shoutin' it to the world! What's the matter with yeh?"

"There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact," said Harry, "about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy -"

"SHHHH!" Hagrid said again. "Listen - come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin' mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh -"

"Bye Hagrid!" said Kalilina, coming from behind a bookshelf. Hagrid shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" said Hermione thoughtfully.

"I caught a glimpse of the book as I was coming around the bookshelf," said Kalilina. "It said something about Dragons."

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told us so the first time me and Kali ever met him," said Harry.

"_Still_ think he's barmy for wanting a dragon that can eat and fucking kill you!" huffed Kalilina.

"But it's against our laws," said Ron. "Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocs' Convention of 1709, everyone know that. It's hard to stop Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden - anyway, you can't tame dragons, it dangerous. You should see the burns Charlie's got off wild ones in Romania."

"Are there any wild dragons in _Britain_?" said Harry. "Because last I rememebered we're in _Britain _and not _Romania_."

"Of course there are," scoffed Ron. "Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks. The Ministry of Magic has a job hushing them up, I can tell you. Our kind have to keep putting spells on Muggles who've spotted them, to make them forget."

"So, we know that Hagrid got a book on dragons," said Kalilina. "but..."

"What on earth's Hagrid up to?" said Hermione.

* * *

When they knocked on the door of the gamekeeper's hut an hour later, they were surprised to see the curtains closed - as though no resides in the hut. Hagrid called "Who is it?" before letting them in ans shutting the doorquickly after them. They found his behavior suspicious. It was burning inside, which made no sense because it was a warm day outside, and a fire was blazing in the grate. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwhichs, which they refused.

"So - yeah wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yeah," said Kalilina. The other three rolled their eyes. So much for being around the bush. "Could you tell us what's guarding the Sorcerer's Stone apart from Fluffy?"

Hagrid frowned at her.

"O' course I can't," he said. "Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh lot know too much already, so I wouldn't tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts - I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy."

"Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you _do _know, you know everything round here," said Hermione, in a flattering voice. Hagrid's bear twitched upwards and they could tell he was smiling. "We only wondered who had _done _the guarding, really. "Hermione continued on. "We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him, apart from you."

Hagrid swelled at these last words. Harry and Ron beamed at Hermione as Kalilina gave her a quick and subtle high five.

"Well, I don' s'pose it could hurt ter tell yeh that...let's see . . . he borrowed Fluffy from me . . . then some o' the teachers did enchantments . . . Professor Sprout- Professor Flitwick - Professor McGonagall - " he put another finger up each time he said a name, "Professor Quirrell - an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone . . . oh yeah, Professor Snape."

The 4 Gryffindors stared at him with shock etched upon their faces.

"What?" said Hagrid.

"_SNAPE?!"_

"Yeah - yer not still on abou' that, are yeh? Look, Snape helped _protect _the Stone, he's not about ter steal it."

"You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?" said Harry anxiously. "And you wouldn't tell anyone, would you? Not even one of the etachers?"

"Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore," said Hagrid proudly.

The four Gryffindors let out a sigh of relief, ignoring Hagrid's worried and confused expression.

"Well, I believe I'm melting," huffed Kalilina. "Can you open a window or something, Hagrid? Or else I'll be a puddle of skin and bones by the time we leave."

"Can't, Kalilina, sorry," said Hagrid. He glanced towards the fire. The 4 Gryffindors looked too.

"Hagrid - what's . . . _that_?"

But there was no point in asking the question. In the very heart of the fire was a huge, black egg.

"Ah, well, that," said Hagrid avoiding their eyes. "That's - er . . ."

"Where did you get it, Hagrid?" said Ron, crouching over the fire to look at the egg. "It must've cost you a fortune."

"Won it," said Hagrid. "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get ride of it, ter be honest."

"But what in the heavens are you going to when it's hatched?" said Hermione.

"Well, I've bin doin' some readin," said Hagrid, pulling out a large book for them to see. "Got this outts the library - _Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit _- it's a bit outta date, o' course, but it's all in here. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breathe on 'em, see, an' when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed with chicken blood every half hour. An' see here - how ter recognize diff'rent eggs - what I got there's a Norwegian Ridgeback. They're rare, them."

He looked very pleased, but Kalilina gave herself a great facepalm.

"Hagrid, I don't know if you're blind or not or if you've got a mental problem," said Kalilina. "But you have a bloody dragon. And your house is made of _wood_. What do you think is going to happen when you're off and about somewhere and leave it here? KA-BOOM! And you'll have no house."

Hagrid, however, just continued to sing on merrily.

* * *

So now they had something else to worry about: someone finding out that Hagrid was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.

"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Ron sighed, as they struggled night after night to get all the extra homework done, Hermione and Kalilina had made Harry and Ron shedules, too. To say Harry and Ron were going insane was an understatement.

Then, one breakfast time, Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid. He had written something so simple: _It's hatching_.

Ron wanted to skip Herbology, but Hermione was putting her foot down.

"Oh, come on, Hermione, how many times in our lives will we ever see a dragon hatching?"

"We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in -"

"But, Hermione _please_. It's a dragon for crying out loud!"

"Shut up!" Harry whispered.

Malfoy was a few feet away and he had stopped in his tracks to listen to the conversation.

"Go on, Malfoy, get," demanded Kalilina. "Go snog your pug of a girlfriend or something! Get! Get I say!"

Kalilina made noises and swatted at Malfoy, like you would do with cats.

"Come on, Mother of the Freaks," said Ron, pulling her away from the smiling - but not in the good way - Malfoy. Ron and Hermione agrued all the way to Herbology and in the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's during morning break. When the bell sounded, they all dropped their trowels and dashed through the grounds to the edge of the forest. Hagrid greeted them, looking overly excited.

"It's nearly out." He ushered them inside quickly. The egg was lying on the table. There were some deep cracks in it. Something was moving inside of it; a funny clicking noise was coming from it. They all drew their chairs up to the table - but at a safe distance - to watch with bated breath.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped onto the table. It wasn't the prettiest little creature, to be truthful; Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body, it had a long snout with wide nostrils, the stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout making Kalilina mutter to the others, "You see. That thing is going to end up burning the whole hut down."

"Isn't he _beautiful_?" hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to sroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.

"Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!" said Hagrid.

"Hagrid," said Hermione, eyeing the dragon uncertainly," how fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?"

Hagrid opened his mouth to answer when all the color drainec from his face - he jumped up and ran to the window.

"What's the matter?"

"Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains - it's a kid - he's runnin' back up ter the school."

The 4 Gryffindors gave each other a look before running to the door and looking out. There was no denying who it was.

"Malfoy, you little shit,"

* * *

The smile on Malfoy's face during the next week made the 4 Gryffindors uneasy and worried. If Draco Malfoy was smiling, it was obviously trouble brewing. They spent most of their free time with Hagrid in his darkened hut, trying to convince to let go of his dragon.

"Just let him go," Harry urged. "Set him free."

"I can't," said Hagrid. "he's too little. He'd die."

"Hagrid, listen to me!" demanded Kalilina. "If you don't let go of your dragon, Malfoy could easily go to Dumbledore and tell him of your dragon."

They looked at the dragon. It had definitely grown in the past week. It was now three times larger, smoke kept furling out of its nostrils, and Hagrid hadn't been doing his gamekeeper duties because the dragon kept him so busy. There were empty bottles of brandy and chicken feather all over he floor.

"I've decided to call him Norbert," said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with tears in his eyes. "He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?"

"Annnd here's an example of how to go insane!" Kalilina whispered sarcastically in Hermione's ear. That earned Kalilina a disapproving look and a smack on the arm.

"I - I know I can't keep him forever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't."

Kalilina smacked Ron on the arm, a brilliant brewing inside her head.

"Charlie," she said.

"Are you going insane too?" said Ron. "I'm Ron, remember?"

"No, you dumbass. Charlie - your brother. In Romania. The one studying dragons. We could send Norbet to him! Charlie can take care of him and then put him back in the wild!"

"Brilliant!" said Ron. "What d'you think, Hagrid?"

In the end, Hagrid had been convinced enough to agree to let them send an owl to Charlie and ask him.

The following week droned on. Wednesday night found Hermione, Harry and Kalilina sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. Kalilina was half-way asleep, leaning on Harry just in case she did fall asleep. The clock on the wall chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron appeared out of thin air as he pulled off Harry's Invisibility Cloak. He had been down in Hagrid's hut, helping to feed Nobert, he had taken a fancy to eating dead rats by the crate.

"The bloody thing bit me!" he said, showing him his hand wrapped in a bloody hadkerchief. "I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week. I tell you, that dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit. When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. And when I left, he was singing it a lullaby."

Kalilina couldn't help herself and fell out laughing. But she was silenced by a tap on the dark window.

"It's Hedwig!" said Harry, hurrying to let her in. "She'll have Charlie's answer!"

"No, Harry. It's Starshine and she's coming to bring Malfoy's mangled body," said Kalilina sarcastically. "Honestly, Potter!"

Harry glared at her and the three of them put their heads together to read the note.

_Dear Ron,_

_How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon._

_Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark. Send me an answer as soon as possible._

_Love, Charlie_

They looked at one another.

"We've got the Invisibility Cloak," said Harry. "It shouldn't be too diffucult - I think the cloak's big enough to cover three of us and Norbert. Not too sure, though."

It was a mark of how bad the last week had been that the other three agreed with him. Anything to get rid of Norbert - and Malfoy.

They should've known something else was going to happen. By the next morning, Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. He didn't know whether to go to Madam Pomfrey or not. Would she recognize the bite? By the afternoon, though, he had no choice but to go. His hand had turned a repulsive shade of green. Well, seemed like Norbert's fangs were poisonous.

Harry, Kalilina and Hermione rushed up to the Hospital Wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a horrible state in bed.

"It's not just my hand," he whispered, "although that feels like it's going to fall off any moment. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey that he had to borrow a book from me just so he could laugh at my demise. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me - I've told her it was a dog bit, but I don't think she believes me - I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's threatening me now."

Kalilina stroked his hair, trying to calm him down. It worked, slightly, but not too much.

"It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday," said Hermione, softly. It was supposed to calm him, but he sat up quickly and broke into a ferocious sweat.

"Midnight on Saturday!" he groaned. "Oh no - oh no - I've just remembered - Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took from me, he's going to know we're getting rid of Nobert."

They didn't get a chance to answer as Madam Pomfrey came over and shooes them out, telling them that Ron needed rest.

"It's too late to change the plan now," Harry sighed. "We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl, and this could be out only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we _have _got the Invisibility Cloak, something Malfoy has no idea about."

They found Fang the boarhound sitting outside with a bandaged tail when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.

"I won't let you in," he puffed. "Norbert's at a tricky stage - nothin' I can't handle."

When they explained to him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, though, that may be because Norbert bit him on the leg.

"Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot - ju's playin' - he's only a baby, after all."

The 'baby' banged its tail on the wall, making the windows on the hut rattle. The three walked back to the castle feeling Saturday wasn't coming quickly enough.

* * *

They would have felt sorry for Hagrid when the time came for him to say good-bye to Norbert if they hadn't been so worried on what they were about to do. It was a very dark, cloudy night, and they were a bit late arriving at hagrid's hut because Peeves had been in the entrance hall playing tennis. It took Kalilina threatening him very severely to move.

Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large crate.

"He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey," said Hagrid in a muffled voice. "An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely."

From inside the crate came a noise that sounded like the head of the teddy bear was being ripped apart.

"Bye-bye, Norbert!" Hagrid sobbed, as the three Gryffindors covered the crate with the Invisibility Cloak and stepped underneath it themselves. It was a bit of a crush, but they'd manage. "Mummy will never forget you!"

How they'd managed to get the crate back through the castle, they never knew. Midnight ticked nearer as they continued to heave Norbert up the marble staircase in the entrance hall.

"Nearly there!" Harry panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tallest tower.

"'Nearly there' my arse!" gasped Kalilina. "We need to be there _now_, before my lungs give out!"

Then a sudden movement in front of them made them almost drop Norbert.

Professor McGonagall, in a tartan bathrobe and a hair net, had Malfoy by his ear.

"Detention!" she shouted. "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how _dare _you -"

"You don't understand, Professor. Three Gryffindors are coming - Harry Potter, Kalilina Black and Hermione Granger - and they've got a dragon!"

"What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on - I shall see Professor Snape about you, Malfoy!"

The steep spiral staircase up to the top tower seemed so easy after that. Not until they'd sstepped out into the cold night air did they throw off the Cloak, glad to be able to breathe properly again. Hermione did a jig.

"Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!"

"Don't," Harry advised.

While they waited, Kalilina and Hermione did a happy dance in celebration of malfoy getting detention. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.

Charlie's friends were awfully..cheery. They showed the three the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Nobert between them. They all helped buckle Norbert safely into it and then Harry, Kalilina and Hermione shook hands with them and thanked them very much.

At last, Norbert was going . . . going . . . _gone_.

They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts swelled with happiness. No more dragon - Malfoy in detention - what could ruin their happiness?

The answer stood waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.

"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we _are _in trouble."

"We left the Invisibilty Cloak on top of the tower, didn't we?"

"Yup,"

"Fuck,"

* * *

**Hoped you likey! This may be it for a while (A little after Christmas maybe) because I still have to keep up with school and my report card isn't looking too good. So, I'll update more after the second quarter end. It depends on how my 2nd report card looks.**

**And to Ali(Guest): Sorry to diappoint you. I mean. Look at Walburga and Orion Black, they were cousins and they married. It happens in the Black family, so it isn't too uncommon. Plus, Kali and Draco are third cousins, not first cousins, at least. But sorry again for making it a Draco/Kali story.**

**So this'll be it for a while. I'll miss writing, but school comes first. So, au revoire my lovely dear readers! :D**

**~ Maraudin' like a boss, signing out. ~**


	14. Detention with Hagrid

They were in some deep water.

Filch took them to Professor McGonagall's study, on the first floor, where they sat and waited. Hermione was trembling. Harry was thinking up of excuses and alibies while Kalilina was breathing hard and tugging on the ends of her hair. How were they going to get out of trouble this time? They were cornered - there was no way out. How could they be so idiotic to leave the cloak? Professor McGonagall wouldn't believe that they were up and about wandering, in the Astronomy Tower, no less, for any reason. Add Norbert and the Cloak, and they might as well be packing their bags to get on the train back to London.

How could anything _possibly _get worse? Professor McGonagall appeared and she was leading Neville.

Well, it just possibly got worse.

""There you guys are!" Neville burst out the moment he saw the other three. "I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-"

Kalilina clamped a hand over his mouth quickly.

"What he was about to say was..um.." Kalilina stuttered, "is that..we had Dragonium. Yeah. That's it."

But Professor McGonagall hadn't bought it. She looked more likely to breath fire that Norbert as she towered over the four of them.

"I would never have believed it any of you. Mr Filch says you were up in the Astronomy Tower. It's one o' clock in the morning. _Explain yourselves._"

Not one of them could tell her. They were either ashamed - Hermione- or frightened on what was going to happen to them.

"I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on," said Professor McGonagall. "It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?"

Kalilina waved her hands frantically in front of her, trying to tell Neville - who was looking stunned and hurt - that it wasn't true.

"I'm disgusted," said Professor McGonagall. "Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense than this. Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. And as for you, Miss Black. I honestly can't say I'm all too surprised. But I'm surprised at you! I cannot believe you would go this far! All four of you will recieve detention - yes, you too, Mr Longbottom, _nothing _gives you the right to walk around school at night, especially these days, it's very dangerous - and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor."

"_Fifty_?" Harry nearly shouted.

"Fifty points _each_," said Professor McGonagall, giving them a stone hard look from over her glasses. Kalilina felt all the wind leave her lungs and she fell backwards, Hermione and Harry having to hold her up. She had lost 5, 10, or 20 points for her House. But 50! Boy, would her House hate her now!

"Professor - no -"

"Anything but that -"

"You _can't_ -"

"Don't tell me what I can and can not do, you four. Now off to bed, all of you. I have never been more ashamed in my Gryffindors."

200 points gone. No longer was Gryffindor in the lead. But in last.

Kalilina couldn't sleep, she heard Hermione sniffling in the bed near hers, and Kalilina couldn't deny herself that she let a few tears fall. She had gotten herself in so much trouble this time. And dragged poor Neville and Hermione into, as well. She wouldn't be surprised if the two were plotting her death.

The next morning, all the Gryffindors were confused at why there were 200 points missing from the hourglass that recorded the points. They thought it had been a mistake. But then they learned the truth: Harry Potter, the bloody Boy Who Lived, and Kalilina Black, the Girl Who Lived, along with some other stupid first years, had lost them those 200 points.

Since Kalilina was disliked by some already, it didn't really matter to her when people she already knew disliked came up to her and told her she was an idiot and what not. But what _did _hurt her - although, she'd deny until she could deny no more - was when people she didn't even know, came up to her and insulted her. She usually snapped back, but even her normal bitchiness and snark was lacking. All she had was Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Harry had tried resigning the Quidditch team, but Wood told him it would be no good. During practices, Kalilina was constantly being hit by an 'accidental' bludger being hit at her or being bumped by one of her fellow teammates and nearly falling off her broom each time. Harry wasn't even referred to as Harry anymore. He was now referred to as 'the Seeker.' It was taking a toll on both of them. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they would retire early back to wherever, just to get away from those cold glares.

Hermione and Neville were suffering too. Hermione wasn't being a know-it-all as she usually was, Neville stayed basically mute. Kalilina didn't blame them either. She understood why they weren't being seen with Harry or herself anymore. They were afraid that they'd get into even more trouble and they'd be blamed again.

It was a good thing that Kalilina was obsessed with doing well on her exams. Helping Ron and Harry, and also studying harder for herself was taking her mind away from all of Hogwarts hating Harry and herself.

Then about a week before the exams were to start, Harry's new resolution - not to meddle into things - were put to the test. Walking back from the library on his own one afternoon - Kalilina was somewhere outside on the shore of the Black Lake ( Or at least he was pretty sure she was..But that was an hour ago) and Hermione was tutoring Ron on some things he keeps 'forgetting'. He heard somebody whimpering from a nearby classroom. As he drew closer, he recognized Quirrell's voice.

"No - no - not again, please - "

It sounded like someone was in there, threatening him. Harry moved closer, his curiousity getting the better of him.

"All right - all right - " Quirrell sobbed.

Next second. Quirrell hurried out the classroom, fixing his turban in place. He was pale, he shook horribly, and he looked as though he would breakdown crying at any given moment. He strode out of Harry's sight; Harry was positive Quirrell didn't even see him or notice him. He waited until he was sure Quirrell's footsteps had subsided until he peered into the room. It was empty, but a door was ajar at the other end of the classroom. Harry was halfway there what he realized what he was doing.

All the same, he'd have gambled twelve Sorcerer's Stones that Snape had just left that classroom, and had probably been the one who had threatened Quirrell. And judging buy what he just heard - Quirrell had just given in and Snape was probably now walking around with a spring in his step.

Meanwhile, Kalilina sat on the shore of the Black Lake, her knees pressed against her chest and her head resting on her knees. She had come out to read, but she was incredibly fatigue from all her studying, plus her mind was still on losing 200 points. It happened so long ago, but people were still hanging over it. Maybe this is why she was a bitch to most people most of the time.

"Moping around, I see, Black," said a voice.

The drawling tone in the voice told Kalilina who it was, straight away.

Malfoy.

"Go on, laugh about how us 'Gryffindors' are so incredibly idiotic or what not," she sighed, not looking up. Malfoy gasped in mock shock, putting a hand on his chest.

"Kalilina Black, passing up insulting me?" he said. "Has the world gone blimey?!"

"No, I'm just not in the mood for any of your shit," she said. "Although...if you annoy me too much - which you are starting to accomplish - bitchy me might have to come out and pay you a little visit like she did on the train."

Draco rolled his eyes and snorted. He was long over scared of that. She kept using that threat on him, and now he was beginning she was all talk. Draco sat down next to her, but far away so she wouldn't have a quick access to him when she decided to choke the living daylights out of him.

"Penny for your thoughts?" he said. Kalilina glanced over at him.

"You don't care," she stated. He smirked.

"You're right, I don't," he said. Kalilina rolled her eyes.

"Okay, you can leave now, Malfoy," said Kalilina. Draco closed his eyes and put his arms behind his head, smirking. He didn't budge.

"Leave, Malfoy. You're ruining my peace," she grumbled.

"You love hearing yourself talk, don't you?" he snickered. "You're talking on and on like a blabbing idiot. If you were ingenious enough, you would have realized I honestly don't care what you have to say anymore."

Kalilina glared at him fiercely. It was quiet over them for a while before a thought popped into Kalilina's mind. She took her wand from out of her bag and pointed it at Malfoy.

Barely above a whisper, she said, "_Wingardium Leviosa_."

He started rising and Kalilina's smirk grew wider. Malfoy must've noticed something was wrong. His eyes opened and he thrashed around in the air.

"Okay, put me down, Black. This isn't funny," he demanded. Kalilina's eyes flickered with dangerous mischief.

"My pleasure," she said before removing the charm and he fell into the Black lake with a great splash. She doubled over in laughter - the first time since the Astronomy Tower incident - and smiled evilly as Malfoy came up gasping for breath.

"You'll pay for that, Black!" he glared. Kalilina laughed even harder.

"Bye, Malfoy! Don't get eaten by the Giant Squid, he usually eats lunch around this time," she grinned and grabbed her bag, skipping back to the castle. And she pretended not to notice Malfoy shriek in terror as the Giant Squid rose out the water.

Kalilina skipped to the library, where she hoped to find her friends - and she did.

"Where have you been, young lady?" demanded Hermione, who saw her first.

"_Sorry, mother dear_," she snorted. "I was out having some fresh air. And then Malfoy came and ruined it. So now he's a little..wet."

"No wonder you're so happy," chuckled Ron.

"I need to tell you something that I already told Ron and Hermione," said Harry, dead serious. Kalilina growled in frustration, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I'm always the last to know about things! I blame Malfoy. First he goes and ki-" she stopped short.

"He goes and what?" urged Ron.

"And tries to kill me," she stuttered. "Then he goes and ruins my peace that I deserved. That little prick!"

"Tries to kill you? What?!" said Hermione.

"We don't have time for that now," snapped Harry.

"Fine, get it on with it, then," sighed Kalilina.

He told Kalilina - and when she wanted to investigate a bit more, Harry wasn't going to have it.

"Just because you don't want to meddle doesn't mean I don't want to," grumbled Kalilina.

* * *

The next morning, notes were given to Hermione, Neville, Harry and Kalilina at breakfast. They all read the same thing:

_Your detention will take place at eleven o' clock tonight. Meet Mr Filch in the entrance hall._

_Professor M. McGonagall_

The three - Hermione, Kalilina and Harry - left the common room at eleven o' clock that night, bidding Ron a goodbye. They walked down to the entrance hall where Filch was waiting with Malfoy.

"Malfoy's got to suffer, too!" cheered Kalilina, quietly. She high-fived Hermione, who was giggling behind her hand.

"I'm happy too, guys, but you don't want Filch to see us happy, it'll sour his mood," said Harry. Hermione and Kalilina moaned a little.

"Follow me," said Filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside.

"I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won't you, eh?" he said, leering at them. " Oh yes . . . hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me . . . . It's just a pity they let the old punishments die . . . hang you by your wrists from the ceilings for a few days, I've got chains still in my office, keep 'em well oiled in case they're ever needed. . . . Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do."

The five first years lagged back behind Filch at first for Kalilina to say,

"Who else thinks Filch is fucking sadistic?"

They all raised their hands.

"Hurry up, you lot! The faster you're off my hands, the faster I can have peace!"

They hurried to keep up with the caretaker. They all wondered their punishment would be, but as they neared Hagrid's hut and heard his booming voice, they had a clue.

"Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter to get started."

The three - Harry, Kalilina and Hermione - Gryffindors looked at each other with glee - Malfoy . . . not so much - and probably did not do a good job of hiding it because Filch said, "I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well think again, you little brats - it's into the forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll all come out in one piece."

Neville let out a little squeak and clung on to Kalilina. She patted his head, comfortingly and shushed him. Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Filch with a mixture of fear and disbelief etched onto his ferret-y face.

"The forest?" he said, just to make sure he heard. And his voice was two octaves higher than his normal voice. "We can't go in there at night - there's all sorts of things in there - werewolves, I heard."

Neville made a choking noise and buried his head into Kalilina's robes. Kalilina herself was shaking a little, to be honest. So was Hermione, who was clutching Kalilina's wrist tightly. Harry looked slightly pale, but other than that, did not look like he was afraid at all.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" said Filch, his voice cracking with glee. "Should've thought of them werewolves before you got yourself in trouble, shouldn't you?"

Hagrid came striding toward them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulder.

"Abou' time," he said. "I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Hermione, Kalilina?"

"I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid," said Filch coldly, "they're here to be punished after all."

"That's why yer late, is it?" said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. "Bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot your place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here."

"I'll be back at dawn," said Filch, " for what's left of them," he added nastily, and turned and started back toward the castle. Kalilina glared at his retreating back and wanted so bad to do some damage to that man.

Malfoy now turned to Hagrid.

"I'm not going in that forest," he stated, and everyone was happy to hear that his voice held panic.

"Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts," said Hagrid fiercely. "Yeh've done wrong an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it."

"But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. I thought we'd be copying lines or something, if my father knew I was doing this, he'd -"

" - tell yer that's how it is at Hogwarts," Hagrid growled. "Copyin' lines! What good's that ter anyone? Yeh'll do summat useful or yeh'll get out. If yeh think yer father'd rather you were expelled, then go back off ter the castle an' pack. Go on!"

Malfoy didn't not move. But he did glare at Hagrid furiously for a few moments. Kalilina couldn't help it and burst into a fit of giggles. Even when Malfoy scowled at her, Harry gave her a weird look as well as Hagrid, Hermione gave her a disapproving look, and Neville gave her a slightly fearful look - he thought she had gone off the deep end; she did not stop giggling.

"Right then," said Hagrid over Kalilina's giggles, "now, listen carefully - Kalilina it wasn't that funny - anyway, listen carefully 'cause what we're doin' tonight is dangerous, an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment."

He led them to the edge of the forest. Holding his lamp above all their heads, he pointed down a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the deep forest. A light breezed carried their hair as they looked into the dark forest.

"Look there," said Hagrid, "see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it out of its misery."

"And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" said Malfoy, his eyes darting back to the forest in fear.

"Then we give you as a sacrifice," Kalilina smirked evilly. Malfoy glared at her to which she only winked.

"Stop scarin' the boy, Kalilina," said Hagrid. "There's nothin' in the forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang," said Hagrid. "An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least."

"I want Fang," said Malfoy quickly, looking at Fang;s long teeth.

"All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward," Hagrid smirked. "So me, Neville and Hermione'll go one way and Harry, Kalilina, Malfoy and Fang'll go the other way. Sorry, Kalilina, Harry. If I put Neville with that idiot, who knows what he could do to poor Neville. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practice now - that's it - an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll a;; come an' find yeh - so be careful - let's go."

A little way into the forest they reached a fork path. Neville, Hermione and Hagrid took the left path while Harry, Kalilina, Malfoy, and Fang took the right. The Righties - what Kalilina had called them since they took the right path - walked for half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forwst, until the path was almost impossible to follow through the dense trees.

"This is bloody servants work," mumbled Malfoy.

"Shut up, will you," snapped Harry. They glared at each other.

"I would say Malfoy's scared, wouldn't you, Harry?" Kalilina smirked.

Harry nodded and Malfoy scowled at the dark haired girl. "I'm not scared, Black."

Harry purposely stepped on a twig and Malfoy jumped, clinging onto the nearest person to him - Kalilina.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered. Kalilina laughed but realized Malfoy was holding her hand. His hand was cold, but yet she liked holding his hand. Her mind suddenly went back to the kiss they shared. Harry was farther up ahead than the two and paid no mind on what was happening behind him. Kalilina shook her head and reminded herself that she hated the boy who was holding her hand. She made to move away, but Malfoy clung to her hand; his hand was shaking. She looked up to him, eyebrow raised.

"Look, if I die, you're dying with me," he said, noticing her stare. She stared at him, disbelievingly until he met her stare again. For the second time this year, blue met grey. They leaned in but Harry ruined the moment.

"Oi! You slowpokes coming?"

They jumped away quickly, a blush on both of their faces. And they thanked the heavens that it was dark so Harry couldn't see. Kalilina quickly ,oved next to Harry and shook her head roughly. She didn't like Malfoy. Maybe she was going through puberty at an early age or something. Yeah. It was hormones. Or even better...it was the heat of the moment. Yeah! She smiled to herself, glad she figured out why her and Malfoy nearly kissed again. She was broken out of her thoughts when an arm was placed in front of her. Malfoy obviously wasn't watching where he was going and nearly knocked Kalilina over.

"Watch where you're going Malfoy," she snapped.

"Why don't you? You're the one who stopped. I was merely walking," responded Malfoy. See. Everything was normal. They hated each other and that's the way it'd always be.

"This is no time for flirting," muttered Harry, ignoring the two's angry splutters, "Look."

They followed Harry's gaze and saw in front of them a unicorn; its legs were in odd positions and in its middle was a gap in its body. The unicorn was beautiful but the scene was sad to look at. Kalilina took a step foward, just to make sure the animal was dead, ignoring Harry's and Malfoy's warnings. But suddenly a slithering sound made her freeze. A bush near the animal shook . . . Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some beast. The cloaked figure reached the unicorn, lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to dri its blood.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

Malfoy let out a terrible shriek. It was high-pitched and girly too. He bolted - so did Fang. The hooded figure raised its head and looked straight at the dark haired boy and girl - unicorn blood was dribbling down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly toward the pair - Kalilina was clinging onto Harry and Harry was clinging onto Kalilina out of fear.

Then Kalilina let out a gasp, smacking her hand to her forehead. It was her scar. It was burning like it never had before. Harry fell backward from the pain. The hooded figure made a move toward them and Kalilina was panting from the pain and tried to move. Hooves were heard from behind them, galloping, and something large jumped over them. charging at the cloaked figure.

When they were able to open their eyes again, Harry and Kalilina saw a centaur standing over them. He had white-blond hair and palomino body.

"Are you all right?" said the centaur, pulling the two to their feet.

"What - thanks by the way - the bloody hell _was _that?"

The centaur didn't answer. He instead eyed them over.

"You are the Potter son and the Black daughter," he said. "You had better get back to hagrid. The forest is not safe at this time - especially for you you ride? It'll be quicker this way.

"My name is Firenze," he added, as he lowered himself so that Harry and Kalilina could hop onto his back. They ran into some other centaurs who were angry that Firenze was with a human. Firenze didn't care and continued to take Kalilina and Harry back to Hagrid.

"Why's Bane so angry?" Harry asked. "What was it that you saved us from anyway?"

Firenze didn't answer and it was starting to drive Kalilina mad.

"Do you two know what unicorn blood is used for?"

"I don't know," said Kalilina, "But I have a feeling that it isn't used for good."

"We only use the horn and tail hair in Potions," Harry added.

"That's because it is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn," said Firenze. "Only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch from death, but at a terrible price. You have killed something defensless and pure to save yourself, and you will but a half-life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips."

Harry and Kalilina shared a look.

"But who's _that _desperate?" Kalilina wondered aloud. "If you're going to be cursed for the rest of eternity, wouldn't death be better?"

"Yes," Firenze agreed, "unles all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else - something that will bring you back to full strength and power - something that will mean you can never die. Mr Potter, Miss Black, do you know what is hidden in the school at this very moment?"

"The Sorcerer's Stone! Of course - the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who -"

"Can you think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?"

Kalilina grew pale. "Do you mean," she croaked. "that was _Vol -_?"

But she never finished because Hagrid came just at that moment. Well there was going to be a lot to tell to Ron.

The four Gryffindors spent all the night talking about what happened and what it meant. But Kalilina fell asleep half-way through, making Hermione have to carry her up to the dorm. But the night's surprises werren't over just yet. At least, not for Harry anyway.

When he pulled back his sheets, there sat his Invisibility Cloak with a note attached:

**_Just in case_.**

* * *

**Woop! Two more chapters! Then Kalilina's first year will be dooone. Sorry about the delay and about that last message, apparently my mother had a good heart because I am allowed on the computer on weekends. So, until my next update, au revoire! xx**

**Reviews, por favor. :D**


	15. Down the Trapdoor, we go!

**Harry Potter universe doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the magnificent J.K. Rowling. Enjoy! c:**

* * *

When exams came around, it was recommended to stay away from Kalilina Black and Hermione Granger. They snapped at anyone who talked to them and often exploded with frustration.

It was smoking hot, especially in the large where they did their written papers. They had been given special, new quills, which had been bewitched with the Anti-Cheating spell.

They had practical exams as well. Professor Flitwick called them one by one into his class to see if they could make a pineapple dance across a desk. Professor McGonagall watched them turn a mouse into a snuffbox. If the snuffbox was pretty, they were given points - if it had whiskers, points were taken off. Snape breathed down their necks as they tried to remember how to make a Forgetfulness potion.

Potions was really never any of the Gryffindors forte. No wonder Snape probably gave them an A. Harry and Kalilina did the best they could, trying to ignore the stabbing pain on their forehead. Many would say they had a bad case of exam nerves, but that wasn't the case at all. They were being woken up by an old nightmare that was now worse than ever because there was a hooded figure dripping blood in it now.

Maybe it was because they hadn't seen what Harry and Kalilina seen, or because they didn't have burning scars on their forehead, but Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried about the Stone as them. The idea of Voldemort scared them, sure, but he didn't keep visiting them in their dreams, and they were so busy with their studying that they didn't fret about what Snape or anyone else might do.

Their very last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about batty old wizards who'd invented self-stirring cauldrons and they'd be free, free for a whole blissful week until their exam results came out. When the ghost of Professor Binns told them to put down their qulls and roll up their parchment, not one student did not cheer.

"That was far easier than I thought it would be," said Hermione as they joined the crowds who were going out onto the sunny grounds. "I needn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager."

Hermione and Kalilina always liked to go through exam papers afterward, but Ron said it made him feel ill, so they wandered down to the lake and plopped under a willow tree. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of the Giant Squid, who was basking in the warm shallows. Kalilina would've gone, but she was in a comfortable position - her head laying on Harry's lap and her feet on Ron's lap.

"No more studying," Ron said gleefully, resting his hands behind his head. "You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet."

"Exactly, Potter, turn that frown upside down," said Kalilina, using her fingers to lift up the corners of his mouth. He shrugged her off and rubbed at his forhead.

"I wish I knew what this _means_!" he suddenly shouted angrily, making Kalilina jump a little. "My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this."

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested.

"I'm not ill, Hermione," said Harry. "I think it's a warning . . . it means danger's coming. . . ."

Ron couldn't get worked up, it was too hot.

"Harry, relax. Hermione's right, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly got his leg bitten off once, he won't be in a hurry to do it again. And Neville would play Quidditch for England before Hagrid ever let Dumbledore down. You're worrying too much, Harry. You don't hear Kalilina complaining."

Kalilina rolled her eyes at the mention of her name. "I don't complain to you guys because you don't know what me and Harry go through. So, what's the point?"

Ron, however, did not hear. He closed his eyes and he looked like he was drifting off. Harry and Kalilina looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Minutes passed by with each Gryffindor in their own little world. But suddenly, Harry jumped up, making Kalilina fall off his lap.

"Where're you going?" called Ron, standing up lazily. Kalilina, Ron and Hermione rushed after Harry who was nearly sprinting to Hagrid's hut.

"I've just thought of something," he said. He was white now. "We've got to see Hagrid, now."

"Why?" Hermione panted, having a hard time keeping up.

"Don't think it's a bit odd," said Harry, scrambling up the grassy slope, "that what Hagrid wants more than anything is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon egg's in their pocket if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, eh? Why didn't I see it before?"

"What are you going on about, Harry?" said Kalilina, but Harry, sprinting across the grounds toward the forest, didn't answer.

Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house, his trousers and sleeves were rolled up, and he was shelling peas into a large bowl.

"Hullo," he said, smiling. "Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?"

"We'd love -" started Ron, but Harry cut him off.

"No, we're in a hurry, Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know that night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards with look like?"

"Dunno," Hagrid shrugged, "he wouldn't take his cloak off."

He saw the four of them looked stunned and raised his eyebrows.

"It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head - that's one o' the pubs down in the village. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up."

Harry sank down next to the bowl of peas.

"What did you talk to him about, Hagrid? Did you mention Hogwarts at all?"

"Mighta come up," said Hagrid, frowinging as he tried to remember. "Yeah . . . he asked me what I did and I told him I was gamekeeper here. . . . He asked me a bit about the sorta creatures I look after . . . so I told him . . . an' I said what I'd walways really wanted was a dragon . . . an' then . . . I can' remember too well, 'cause he kept buying me drinks. . . . Let's see . . . yeah, then he said he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn't want it ter go ter any old home. . . . So I told him, after Fluffy, a drsgon would be easy. . . ."

"And did he - did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Well - yeah - how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep -"

He suddenly looked horrified.

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out. "Forget I said it! Hey - where're yeh goin'?

Harry, Ron, Kalilina and Hermione didn't speak to each other until they came to a halt in the entrance hall, which seemed cold and gloomy compared to the grounds.

"We've got to go to Dumbledore," said Harry. "Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy, and it was either Snape or Voldemort under that cloak - it must've been easy, once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?"

They looked around, hoping to find a sign that lead to where Dumbledore resided.

"We just have to -" Harry began, but a voice suddenly rang across the hall.

"What are you four doing inside?"

It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large stack of books.

"We want to see Professor Dumbledore," said Hermione, rather boldly.

"See Professor Dumbledore?" she repeated, as though this was a very fishy thing to want to do. "Why?"

They all shared nervous looks - now what?

"Well," said Kalilina, "it's sorta a secret, Professor." But she regretted once she saw Professor McGonagall's nostrils flare.

"Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly. "He recieved an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once."

"_Now_?" said Harry frantically. "He's _gone_?"

"Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time -"

"But this is important."

"Something you have to say is more important than the Ministry of Magic, Potter?"

"Look," said Harry, growing irritated, "Professor - it's about the Sorcerer's Stone -"

Whatever answer Professor McGonagall was expecting, it definitely wasn't that. She dropped all the books in her arms, but made no attempt to pick them up.

"How do you know -?" she spluttered.

"Professor, I think - I _know_ - that Sn - that someone's going to try and steal the Stone. I've got to talk to Professor Dumbledore."

She eyed him with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

"Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow," said finally. "I don't know how you found out about the Stone, but rest assured, no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected."

"But Professor -"

"Black, I know what I'm talking about," she said shortly. She bent down and collected her fallen books. "I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine."

But they didn't.

"It's tonight," said Harry, once he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of ear shot. "Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs, and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore shows up."

"But can we -"

Hermione gasped while Kalilina let out a tiny squeak of suprise. Harry and Ron wheeled around.

Snape was standing there.

"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.

They stared at him, not saying a thing.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an unatural, twisted smile.

"We were -" Harry began, not actually knowing what he was going to say.

"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something. And Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"

Harry flushed and Kalilina glared at the man. They turned to go outside - but Snape stopped them.

"Be warned, Potter - any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day."

He strode off in the direction of the staffroom.

Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.

"Right, here's what we've got to do," he whispered urgently. "One of us has got to keep an eye on Snape - wait outside the staffroom and follow him if he leaves it. Hermione, you'd better do that."

"Why me?"

"Well, one, I sure as hell ain't doing it," said Kalilina. "And two, you could lie and say you were waiting for Professor Flitwick." She cleared her throat and put her voice an octave higher. "Oh, Professor, I think I've gotten question thirteen _b _wrong. . . "

"Oh, shut up," said Hermione, flushing, but agreed to go and watch out for Snape.

"And we better stay outside the third-floor corridor," Harry told Ron and Kalilina. "Come on."

"But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door seperating Fluffy from everything, Professor McGonagall turned up and she lost her temper.

"I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments!" she stormed. "Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll have no problem taking another fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own House!"

The three went back to the common room. Kalilina had just said, "At least Hermione is on Snape's trail," when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open and Hermione came in.

"I'm sorry, Harry!" she wailed. "Snape came out and asked me what I was doing, so I said I was waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and I've only just got away, I don't know where Snape went."

"So both of your plans failed, Harry," said Kalilina. "Any more brilliant ideas?"

"This is it then, isn't it?" said Harry.

The other three stared at him.

"I'm going out of here tonight and I'm going to get the Stone first."

"Do tell me you're bringing us along," said Kalilina. Harry shook his head.

"No, I'm going alone, Kali," he said.

"You most certaintly are not!" Hermione shrilled.

"The girls are right, Harry, you can't go alone," Ron agreed.

"But if you three go, and we get caught, you'll get expelled," Harry reminded them.

"Highly unlikely," Hermione said grimly. "Flitwick told me in private that I got a hundred twelve percent on his exam. They're not throwing me out after that."

* * *

After dinner the four of them sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered them; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry and Kalilina any more, after all. This was the first night it didn't bother them. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments they were about to attempt to break. Kalilina praticed wand movements and various spells, just in case. Harry and Ron didn't talk too much. They were thinking about what they were about to do.

Slowly, the room emptied as people retired off to bed.

"Better get the Cloak," Ron muttered as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs to their dark dormitory. He pulled out the Cloak and then his eyes fell on the flute Hagrid gave him for Christmas. he pocketed it to use on Fluffy - he didn't fancy singing right now.

He ran back down to the common room.

"We'd better put the Cloak on here, and make sure it covers all four of us - if Filch spots one of our feet wandering along on its own -"

"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom.

"Good lord, Neville!" squeaked Kalilina, "You can't just scare people like that!"

"We were doing nothing, Neville, nothing," Harry said quickly, putting the Cloak behind his back.

Neville stared at their guilty faces.

"You're going out again," he said.

"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"

"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again and you lose Gryffindors more points."

"You don't understand, Neville," said harry, "this is important."

But Neville was clearly steering himself to do something desperate.

"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll fight you!"

"_Neville_," Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -"

"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. " I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Yes, but not to _us_," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing."

He took a step foward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.

"Go on then, try to hit me!" Neville said, rasising his fists. "I'm ready!"

Harry turned to the girls.

"_Do something_," he said desperately.

"You do it, Hermione, I can't," Kalilina said, backing away slightly.

Hermione stepped foward.

"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."

She raised her wand.

"_Pertrificus Totalus!_" she cried, pointing it at Neville.

Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.

Kalilina ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.

"You know," whispered Ron. "You're scary sometimes, brilliant, but scary."

They all piled out of the portrait hole, saying their apologies at Neville. They threw the Invisibility Cloak over themselves. In their nervous states, every statue's shadow looked like Filch, every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them.

At the foot of the first stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris sulking near the top.

"Oh, please, oh, please, Harry. Let's kick her just this once," begged Kalilina, but Harry shook his head. As they climbed carefully around her, Mrs. Norris turned her lamplike eyes on them, but didn't do anything.

They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so that people would trip.

"Who's there?' he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked black eyes. "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

He rose up in the air and floated there, squinting at them.

"Should call Filch, I should if something's a-creeping around unseen."

The others panicked while Harry had a sudden idea.

"Peeves," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "the Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake - I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke, sir."

"I have business here tonight, Peeves, " croaked Harry. "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will, sir, I most certainly will, " said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well, Baron, I'll not bother you."

And he scooted off.

"_Brilliant,_ Harry!" whispered Ron.

A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third-floor corridor - and the door was already ajar.

"Well," said Kalilina, quietly, "Looks as though Snape beat us here."

Seeing the open door somehow seemed to impress upon all three of them what was facing them. Underneath the Cloak, Harry turned to the other three.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," he said. "You can take the Cloak, I won't need it now."

"Don't be stupid," Ron said.

"We're coming," said Hermione.

"Honestly, Harry, get it through that thick brain of yours, we're going with you," said Kalilina.

Harry pushed the door open.

As the door opened, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

"What that at its feet?" Hermione whispered.

"Looks like a harp," said Ron. "Snape must've placed it there."

"It must wake up once the music stops," said Harry. "Well, here goes . . ."

He started playing the flute. It wasn't a tune, but the dog's eyes began to droop. Slowly, the dog fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep now.

"Don't stop," Kalilina told Harry, as they slipped out of the Cloak. They could feel the dog's hot, smelly breath as they reached the dog's heads.

"I think we'll be able to pull the door open," said Ron, peering over the dog's back. "Want to go first, Hermione?"

"No, I don't!"

"All right." Ron gritted his teeth and stepped carefully over the dog's legs. He bent and pulled the ring of the trapdoor, which swung up and open.

"What can you see?" Hermione said anxiously.

"I can see pretty rainbows," said Kalilina seriously. Hermione smacked her arm.

"I'm being serious, Kalilina!" she snapped.

"As am I, dear Hermione," said Kalilina.

"Just tell me what you see," huffed Hermione.

"Nothing - it's dark - black - there's no way of climbing down, we'll just have to drop."

"I'll go first," said Kalilina.

"Really? Are you sure?" said Ron. Kalilina nodded. She put her feet through the trapdoor first.

"I'll let you know if it's safe," she said, "but if I don't saying anything, don't follow me and don't go panicking, go straight to a teacher. All right?"

"Gotcha," said Ron and Hermione. Harry gave a nod, as he was still playing.

"See you three in a few, I hope. . ." she gulped. She jumped in and landed with a FLUMP. Well, she wasn't dead.

"Come on, guys, soft landing down here," she called up. Harry came down a few minutes later.

"Oh, hello, Harry, what wonderful weather we're having, aren't we?" grinned Kalilina. But it was dim, so Harry probably couldn't even see her grinning.

"You're weird," he said. Ron came down next and after Harry called her, Hermione came down too.

"Wow, this is really comfy," said Kalilina leaning back.

"Yeah, lucky we landed on this thing here," said Ron.

"_Lucky_?" Hermione squeaked. "Look!"

Kalilina moved and felt her legs were unable to move and she tried to lift up her arm, something grabbed them back down. Ron and Harry struggled to keep whatever it was from getting to their neck.

"Stay still!" Hermione shouted. "It's Devil's Snare!"

"Wow, Hermione, that's really helpful, knowing the name, let's talk about its orgin while we get strangled by it, hm?" snarled Kalilina.

"Shut up, will you, I need to think about how to kill it!" said Hermione.

"Well, can we hurry up the process, I'll be dead by the time you're done," choked Ron.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare . . . what did Professor Sprout say? - it likes the dark and the damp -"

"So - light - light a fire!" Harry choked.

"Yes - of course - but - but - there's no wood!" Hermione cried, pacing back and forth.

"HAVE YOU GONE MENTAL?" Ron and Kalilina bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT, HERMIONE?"

"Oh, right, forgot!" said Hermione, whipping out her wand. She muttered something and used the same bluebell flames she used on Snape on the plant. The other three felt the plant unravel from their limbs and they were able to finally be free of it.

"Lucky you paid attention in Herbology, Hermione," said Harry joining Hermione by the wall, wiping sweat from his face.

"Yeah," said Ron. "and lucky Harry doesn't lose his head in a crisis - 'there's no wood' _honestly_."

"Hermione, you went full retard," Kalilina added on, "you never go full retard."

"This way," said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way to go.

They walked to where Harry pointed and came into a room with a thousand buzzing little . . . things. The four Gryffindors looked around in amazement. Then they noticed a door across the room. The ran to it and Ron tried to open it.

"It's locked!" he exclaimed. Harry looked closely at the flying objects.

"Those are winged keys," he said. "We need to get the one that matches the one to open the door."

"But _how_?" said Hermione.

"I think that broom in the middle of the room is one way," said Kalilina, pointing to a broom in the middle of the room.

"Harry should use it and find the key, he is the best Seeker in half a century," said Ron, nudging Harry. As soon as Harry grabbed the broom, the keys flew at him. He quickly clambered on the brrom and flew up into the air, the keys quickly following after him. Ron, Kalilina and Hermione cheered and encouraged him as he searched for the key to match the door.

"Harry!" Kalilina suddenly shouted. "Get that key with the broken wing!"

Harry outstretched his hand as he came close to the broken winged key. It caught it and threw down, Hermione catching it. Hermione opened the door with it and Harry flew threw it, the door flying shut after him. The room they were in was dark, but as soon as they took a few steps, lights flickered on and revealed an astonishing sight.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessman, which were taller than they were and carved from what look like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. The four shivered slightly - the white pieces had no faces.

"So what are we supposed to do?" whispered Harry.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Ron. "We've got to play our way across."

Behind the white pieces was another door.

"How?" said Hermione nervously.

"I think," said Ron, "we're going to have to be chessmen."He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmet head to look down at Ron.

" Do we - er - have to join you to get across?"

The black knight nodded. Ron turned to the other three.

"This needs thinking about . . ." he said. "I suppose we've got to take the place of four black pieces. . . ."

The other three watched Ron think. Finally, he said, "Now don't be offended or anything, but none of you are that good at chess - "

"We're not offended," said Harry quickly. "Just tell us what we have to do."

He gave Harry, Kalilina and Hermione each a position and declared himself a knight.

"Whit always plays first in chess," said Ron, peering across the board. "Yes . . . look . . ."

A whit pawn had moved foward two squares. The continued on with the game, with white having the upper hand. He moved Harry, Kalilina and Hermione around, taking white pieces. Soon, the white queen turned her head to look at Ron.  
"Yes . . ." said Ron, softly, "it's the only way . . . I've got to be taken."

"NO!" Harry, Kalilina and Hermione shouted.

"That's chess!" he snapped. "Once she's taken me, that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!"

"But -"

"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"

"Ron -"

"Look, if we don't hurry up, he'll already have gotten the Stone!"

There was no other way.

"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined. "Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won."

Once he moved, the white Queen pounced. She struck Ron on the head with her arm, knocking him out instantly. The white queen dragged him off to the side. Once Harry checkmated the king, they ran over to Ron.

"Oh, oh, no, no," whispered Kalilina.

"Come on, we've got to go," Harry said, pulling her away.

"Are you sure he's not -"

"he's okay, he'll be alright," Harry said more to himself.

The went through the door and walked down the paasageway. They came to another door.

"You two okay?" Harry whispered.

"Just open it."

Harry pushed it open.

A horrible smell reached their noses. In the middle of the barely lit room was a knocked out troll.

"Thank god we didn't have to knock this one out, too," said Kalilina, stepping over one of the troll's huge legs. They opened another door. This room didn't look half as scary as the others. There was just a table with seven different shaped bottles standing on it on a line.

"Obviously Snape's," said Harry. "What do we have to do?"

They stepped over the threshold, and instantly a fire sprang to life up behind them in the doorway. It was any old fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading fowards. They were trapped.

"Look!" Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry and Kalilina listened as Hermione read it aloud:

_Danger lies ahead of you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find, _

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onward, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Hermione let out a great sigh and Harry and Kalilina, shocked, saw that she was smiling, something that was the very last thing they'd do.

"_Brilliant_," said Hermione. "This isn't magic - it's logic - a puzzle. A lot of greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here forever."

"But so will we, won't we?"

"Of course not," said Hermione. "Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and one will get us back through the purple."

"But how do we know which one to drink?"

"Give me a minute."

Hermione re-read the paper several times. Finally, after minutes of pacing and muttering, she clapped her hands.

"Got it," she said. "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire - toward the Stone."

She held up the tiny bottle.

"There's only enough for one of us," said Harry. "That's hardly one swallow."

They all looked at each other.

"Which one will you get you back through the black flames?"

Hermione pointed to the last bottle. Harry told her drink that, because he and Kalilina were going to the next chamber. He also told her to grab Ron and owl Dumbledore. Hermione's lip trembled and she ran full speed at Harry and Kalilina. They said their goodbyes and such and Hermione drank the bottle. She waved before disappearing through the purple flames.

"Well, here goes nothing," said Kalilina, picking up the last bottle. She drank half and passed it to Harry. Once he drunk the rest, they grabbed each other's hands and walked through the fire. For a moment, they could see nothing but dark fire - then they were on the other side, in the last chamber.

There was already somebody there - but it wasn't Snape. Not even Voldemort.

Not even close.

* * *

**Sorry I took so long on this chapter. I started working on it two weekends ago, and I got lazy last weekend, so sorry. But here you go! Right before Christmas, too. Hm. Well Merry-Early Christmas! And a Kalilina New Year! :D Hahaha. One more chapter, you guys. Then BAM. Second year. Oh, and just a question. What ship name would you give Kalilina and Draco?**

**Reviews are more loved than Ron's love for food! :D**


	16. Goodbye Hogwarts, hello torture!

**This is it, the last chapter of Kalilina's first year. Get your tissues ready! Jk jk. Haha. Anyway, hope you enjoy the last chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter, because if I did, I'd be making you guys kiss the ground I walk on. ;) All Harry Potter characters go to J. K. Rowling.**

* * *

It was Quirrell.

"_You!_" gasped Harry.

"But - but - _what_?" gaped Kalilina.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching like it usually was.

"Me," he said calmly, "I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter. Black."

"But I thought - Snape - _huh?_"

"Severus?" Quirrell laughed, and it was his normal quivering one either, but cold sharp and well - diabolical. "Yes, Severus does seem like the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor, st-sturreing P-Professor Quirrell?"

Harry and Kalilina looked at each other, shocked all over their faces. This couldn't - this _wouldn't _be true.

"But Snape tried to kill us!"

"No, no, no. _I _tried to kill you two. Your friend Miss Granger accidentally knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with you. Another few seconds and I'd have gotten you two off those brooms. I'd have managed before then if Snape hadn't been muttering a countercurse, trying to save you two."

"Snape . . . the Snape who hates Harry and I - was trying to _save _us?"

"Of course," said Quirrell coolly. "Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really . . . he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor from winning, he _did _make himself unpopular . . . and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you two tonight."

Quirrell snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped tightly around Kalilina and Harry.

"You're too nosy to live. Scurrying around on Halloween like that, for all I knew you'd seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone."

"_You _let in the troll in? What, are you Snape number two now?"

"Of course I let the troll in. I have a special gift with trolls - you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unforunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off - and not only did my troll fail to beat you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bit Snape's leg off properly."

"Now wait quietly, Potter. Black. I need to examine this interesting mirror."

It was only then did Harry and Kalilina realize what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.

"This mirror is the key to finding the Stone, Quirrell murmured, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this . . . but he's in London . . . I'll be far away by the time he gets back. . . ."

"I saw you and Snape in the forest -" Harry suddenly blurt out.

"Yes," said Quirrell idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me - as though he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side. . . ."

Quirrell came back out from behind the mirror and stared hungrily into it.

"I see the Stone . . . I'm presenting it to my master . . . but where is it?"

The two knew they _had _to have Quirrell's full attention away from the mirror.

"But he always seems to hate us so much."

"Oh, he does," Quirrell said, nonchalantly, "heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your fathers, didn't you know? They all loathed each other. But he never wanted you two _dead_."

"But I heard you a few days ago, sobbing - I thought Snape was threatening you. . . ."

For the first time since they got here, a spasm of fear flittered across Quirrell's face,

"Sometimes," he said, "I find it hard to follow my master's instructions - he is a great wizard and I am weak - "

"You mean he was there with you?" Harry gasped.

"He is with me wherver I go," said Quirrell quietly. "I met him when I traveled around the world. A foolish young man I was then, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it. . . . Since then, I have served faithfully, although I've let him down many times. He has to be very hard on me." Quirrell suddenly stopped, shivering violently. "He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts, he was most displeased. He punished me . . . decided he would have to keep a closer watch on me. . . ."

Quirrell's voice trailed off. Harry and Kalilina remembered their trip to Diagon Alley - how were they so stupid? They'd _seen _Quirell and shooken hands with him in the Leaky Cauldron.

Quirrell cursed under his breath.

"I don't understand . . . is the Stone _inside _the mirror? Am I supposed to break it?"

Harry's mind was racing.

_What I want more than anything else in the world at the moment, _he thought, _is to find the stone before Quirrell does. So if I look in the mirror, I should see myself finding it - which means I'll see where it's hidden. But how can I look without Quirrell realizing what I'm up to?_

Kalilina was going to warn him about the rope, but decided to see if his plan would work. He tried to edge to the left, but due to the rope,he tripped and fell over. Kalilina closed her eyes and pretended to give herself a face-palm.

_'Congrats, Harry. You've just graduated Dumbass Academy, you'll be moving on to Down-right-troll-brain University next!' _Kalilina thought, sarcastically.

'_Shut up, Kali. I'm trying to productive here, and what are you doing? Standing there and waiting until Quirrell finds out how to get to the Stone,_' Harry shot back.

'_Quirrell may not be that stuttering twit we once thought he was, but I still think he's incompetent as when we first met him.' _Kalilina said back. Harry rolled his eyes, even though Kalilina couldn't see.

"What does this mirror do? How does it work? Help me, master!"

A cold, chilling voice that makes hair on the back of your neck stand up, was seeming to emit from Quirrell himself.

"Use the boy and girl . . . Use the boy and girl . . ."

Quirrell rounded on the two.

"Yes - Potter - Black - come here."

He snapped his fingers and the rope slipped from the two. Harry slowly got to his feet.

"Come here," Quirrell repeated. "Look into the mirror and tell me what you see."

Harry was first. He walked toward him.

_Lie to him, _he thought despertaely. _I must lie about what I see, that's all._

Harry closed his eyes as he stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again.

He saw his reflection, plae and scared-looking at first. But a moment later, the reflection smiled at him. It put its hand into its pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket - and somehow, some way, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. _He'd gotten the Stone_.

"Well?" said Quirrell impatiently. "What do you see?"

Harry suddenly got a burst of courage.

"I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore," he lied. "I - I've won the House Cup for Gryffindor."

Quirrell cursed again.

"Girl, tell me what you see," Quirrell demanded, pulling Kalilina in front of the mirror. Kalilina stared into the mirror. She saw her parents smiling down at her, and this time, there were other people in the background. Some of them had blonde hair like Kalilina's mother and then there were two people who didn't look like the others. It was a man and a woman. The woman had fiery red hair with dark green eyes - just like Harry's. The man had wild, unmanagable hair and square glasses. He was wearing a goofy grin. They must be Harry's parents. Kalilina couldn't help but gawk.

"What do you see?" Quirrell said impatiently. Kalilina blinked a few times.

"My parents," she responded.

Quirrell cursed once again.

"Move out of the way," he said, pushing Kalilina out of the way - knocking her to the ground. She stood up quickly and was about ready to charge when her arm was tugged back. Harry pointed to the buldge in his pant pocket. Kalilina gawked at it. How the hell had he gotten it?

Quirrell hadn't even gotten five paces when the cold voice spoke again, though Quirrell's lips weren't moving.

"The boy lies . . . He lies . . ."

"Potter, come back here!" Quirrell shouted. "Tell me the truth! What do you actually see?"

The high voice spoke again.

"Let me speak to them . . . face-to-face. . . ."

"Master, you are not srong enough!"

"I have strength enough . . . for this. . . ."

Quirrell started unraveling his turban until it fell completely off. He had a strangely small head without it. Quirrell turned on the spot.

Kalilina's mouth opened in a scream, but nothing came out. Where there should've been a back to Quirrell's head, there was a face, a most terrible face. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake's.

"Harry Potter . . ." it whispered. "Kalilina Black . . ."

Harry and Kalilina tried to take a step backward but their legs wouldn't move.

"See what I've become?" the face said. "Mere shadow and vapor . . . I have form only when I can share another's body . . . but there have always been those willing to let me into their hearts and minds. . . . Unicorn blood has strengthened me, these past weeks . . . you saw faithful Quirrell drinking it for me in the forest . . . and once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own. . . .Now . . . why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket, boy?"

Harry suddenly found his legs and jumped backward, tugging Kalilina along with him.

"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Better save save your own life and join me . . . or you'll meet the same end as your parents . . . They died begging me for mercy. . ."

"YOU LIAR!" Harry shouted.

"How touching . . ." it hissed. "I always value bravery. . . . Yes, boy, I remember killing your parents. I killed your father first, and he put up a good fight . . . but your mother needn't have died . . . she was only trying to protect you. And you, girl. Your mother put up a very good fight. She needn't had died either, but mothers always do have to protect their young. . . . Now give me the Stone, Potter, unless you want them to have died in vain."

"NEVER!"

"STAY AWAY FROM HARRY, YOU BASTARD!"

Harry and Kalilina sprang toward the flame door, but Voldemort screamed "SEIZE THEM!" and the next second, they were grabbed my Quirrell. Their scars were burning like the sun had touched them. Quirrell howled with pain and jumped back from them, looking down at his hands.

"Seize them! SEIZE THEM!" Voldemort shrieked again, and Quirrell lunged, effectively taking the two children to the ground. As Quirrell wrapped an hand around each of their throats, the pain was bliding them. Yet they could still see Quirrell howling in agony.

"Master, I cannot hold them - my hands - my hands!"

Quirrell let go of the two for a brief second, looking bewildered at his palms - they were burned, raw, red, and shiny.

"Then kill them, fool and be done!" screeched Voldemort.

Quirrell raised his hand to preform a deadly curse but then Harry and Kalilina charged at him, their hands enveloping his face -

"AAAARGH!"

Quirrell got free of them, his face now blistering too, and then Harry and Kalilina knew: Quirrell couldn't touch their bare skin, not without suffering terrible pain -their only chance was to keep ahold of Quirrell, keep him in enough pain to stop him for cursing them.

Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm and hung as tight as he could. Kalilina jumped on Quirrell's back and pressed her hands on his face. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Kalilina off and release his wrist from Harry's grip - the pain in Harry and Kalilina's head was building - they couldn't see - they could only hear Quirrell's terrible shrieks and Voldemort's yells of, "KILL THEM! KILL THEM!" and other voices, maybe in their own heads, crying, "Harry! Harry!" and "Kalilina! Kalilina!"

All of a sudden, Quirrell was no longer there and they fell to the ground and the blackness overcame them.

* * *

Something was tickling Harry's face and there was this annoying thumping in his cheek. He tried to do something about it, but his arms were too heavy.

He blinked and found that the thing tickling his face was Kalilina's hair and that thumping in his cheek was her poking his cheek. She grinned down at him.

"Hiya, Harry," she said.

"Good Afternoon, Harry," said another voice. Harry jumped a little and looked to the side of his bed. There was Albus Dumbledore smiling down at him.

"Sir! The Stone! It was Quirrell! He's got the Stone! Sir, quick -"

"Calm yourself, dear boy, you are little behind the times," said Dumbledore. "Quirrell does not have the Stone."

"Then who does? Sir, I-"

"Harry, please relax, or Madam Pomfrey will have me thrown out."

Harry swallowed and looked at his surrounding. He and Kalilina must be in the Hospital Wing. He was laying on a large bed, with Kalilina laying next to him. On Harry's side of the bed was piled with candies of different sorts. Same with Kalilina's side.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," said Dumbledore, beaming. "What happened down in the dungeons between you two and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Mister Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat. No doubt they thought it would amuse you. Madam Pomfrey, however, felt it might not be very hygenic, and confiscated it."

"Aw, man," pouted Kalilina.

"How long have we been in here?" Harry asked.

"Three days. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will be most relieved you have come around, they have been extremely worried."

"But sir, the Stone -"

"Quite obsessed with that Stone, aren't we, Harry?" Kalilina joked, nudging the boy beside her. Harry stuck his tongue out at her. Dumbledore chuckled.

"I see you are not to be distracted, Harry. Very well, the Stone. Professor Quirrell did not manage to take it from you. I arrived in time to prevent that, although you two were doing very well on your own, I must say."

"You got there? You got Hermione's owl? Hallelujah!"

"We must have crossed in midair. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time to pull Quirrell off -"

"That's why he just disappeared."

I feared I might be too late."

"You nearly were, I couldn't have kept him off the Stone much longer -"

"Not the Stone, boy, you - the effort nearly killed you two. For one terrible moment there, I was afraid it had. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."

"Destroyed?" said Harry blankly. "But your friend - Nicolas Flamel -"

"Oh, you know about Nicolas?" said Dumbledore, sounding delighted. "You _did _do the thing properly, didn;t you? Well, Nicolas and I have had a little chat and agreed it's all for the best."

"But he and his wife will die, won't they?"

Dumbledore smiled at the look of amazement on Harry and Kalilina's face.

"To one as young as you two, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very, _very _long day. After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two thing most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worse for them."

Harry and Kalilina lay there, lost for words. Dumbledore hummed a little and smiled at the ceiling.

"Sir?" said Kalilina. "I've been thinking . . . Sir - even if the Stone's gone, Vol -, I mean, You- Know - Who -"

"Call him Voldemort, Kalilina. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of the name only increases fear for the thing itself."

"Yes, sir. Well, Voldemort's going to try other ways of coming back, isn't he? I mean, he hasn't gone, has he?"

"No, Kalilina, he has not. He is still out there somewhere, perhaps looking for another body to share . . . not truly alive, he cannot be killed. He left Quirrell to die; he shows little mercy to his followers as his enemies. Nevertheless, you two, while you may have only delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time - and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never returned to power."

Then Harry said, "Sir, there are some things I'd like to know, if you can tell me . . . things I want to know the truth about. . . ."

"The truth." Dumbledore sighed. "It is beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution. However, I shall answer your questions unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

"Well . . . Voldemort said that he only killed Kalilina and I's mothers because our mother's tried to stop him from killing us. But why would he want us dead in the first place?"

Dumbledore sighed very deeply this time.

"Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day . . . put it from your mind for now, Harry. When you are older . . . I know you hate to hear this . . . when you are ready, you will know. Same goes to you, Kalilina."

And they knew it was no use in arguing.

"But why couldn't Quirrell touch us?"

"Your mothers died to save you two. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mothers' for you two leaves it own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign . . . to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. Quirrell, full of hatred, greed and ambition, sharing his soul with Voldemort, could not touch you two for this reason. It was agony to touch a person marked by something so good."

Dumbledore suddenly became very interested in a bird on the windowsill, which gave Harry and Kalilina time to dry their eyes with the sheet. When Harry found his voice again, he said, "And the Invisibility Cloak - do you know who sent it to me?

"Ah - your father happened to leave it in my possession, and I thought you might liek it." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Useful things . . . your father used it mainly for sneaking off to the kitchens to steal food when he attended."

"And there's something else . . ."

"Fire away, you two."

"Quirrell said Snape -"

"_Professor _Snape, Kalilina."

"As I was saying - Quirrell said he hates us because he hated our fathers. Is that true?"

"Well, they did rather detest each other. Not unlike you two and Mr. Malfoy. And then, your father did something Snape could never forgive, Harry."

"What?"

"He saved his life."

"_Huh_?"

Yes . . ." Dumbledore dreamily. "Funny, the way people's mind works, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt. . . . I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace. . . ."

Harry tried to process this, but it made his head pound, so he stopped.

"And sire, there's one more thing . . ."

"Just the one?"

"How did I get the Stone out of the mirror?"

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of my more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to _find _the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see them making gold or drinking Elixir of Life. My brain surprises even me sometimes. . . . Now, enough questions. I suggest you make a start on these sweets. Ah! Bertie Botts's Every Flavor Beans! I was unfortunate enough in my youth to come across a vomit-flavored one, and since then I'm afraid I've rather lost my liking for them - but I think I'll be safe with a nice toffee, don't you?"

He smiled and popped the golden-brown bean into his mouth. Then he choked and said, "Alas! Ear wax!"

* * *

Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.

"Just five minutes," Harry pleaded.

"Absolutely not."

"ou let Professor Dumbledore in. . . ."

"Well, of course, that was the headmaster, quite different. You two need _rest_.

"Madam Pomfrey, if you do not let them in, I will get up and personally let them in myself," said Kalilina, preparing to get out of the bed. Madam Pomfrey pushed her back down on the bed and gave her a warning look.

"Oh, very well," she said. "But five minutes _only_."

And with that, she let Ron and Hermione in.

"_Harry! Kalilina!_"

Hermione reached them first.

"Come on, Momma needs some lovin'," Kalilina said, holding her arms out. Hermione hugged the dark haired girl, tightly. Then, Ron hugged her.

"Don't hug Potter over here," she advised them, "His head is hurting him."

"Oh, you two, we were sure you were going to - Dumbledore was so worried -"

"The whole school's talking about it," said on. "What _really _happened?"

Harry and Kalilina told them everything: Quirrell; the mirror; the Stone; and Voldemort, taking turns telling the story. Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places, and when Harry told them what was under Quirrell's turban, Hermione screamed out loud.

"So the Stone's gone?" said Ron finally. "Flamel's just going to _die_?"

"That's what I said, but Dumbledore thinks that - what was it again, Kali? - 'to the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.'"

"I always said he was off his rocker," said Ron, looking quite impressed at how crazy his hero was.

"So what happened to you two?" said Harry.

"Well, I got back all right," said Hermione. "I brought Ron round - that took a while - and we were dashing up to the owlery to Dumbledore when we met him in the entrance hall - he already knew - he just said, 'Harry and Kalilina've gone after them, haven't they?' and hurtled off to third floor."

"D'you think he meant you two to do it?" said Ron. "Sending you you father's Claok and everything?"

"_Well_," Hermione exploded, "If he did - I mean to say - that's terrible - you booth could've been killed."

"No, it isn't," said Harry thoughtfully. "He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give us a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don't think it was an accident he let us find out how the mirror worked. It's almost like he thought we had the right to face Voldemort if we could. . . ."

"Yeah, Dumbledore's off his rocker, all right," said Ron, proudly. "Listen, you've got to be up for the end-of -year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course - you two missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrolled by Ravenclaw without you - but the food'll be good."

At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.

"You've had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT," she said firmly.

* * *

After a wonderful night of sleep, Harry and Kalilina felt almost back to normal.

"We want to go to the feast," they told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened their candy boxes. "We can, can't we?"

"Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go," she said sniffily, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn't realize how risky feats could be. "And you have another visitor."

"Oh, good," said Kalilina. "Who is it?"

Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked to big to be allowed. He sat down next to their bed, and burst into tears.

"It's - all - my - ruddy - fault!" he sobbed, his face in his hands. "I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn't know, an' I told him! Yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!"

"Hagrid!" said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down his beard. "Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you haven't told him."

"Yeh could've died!" sobbed Hagrid. "An' don' say the name!"

"VOLDEMORT! VOLDEMORT! VOLD-E-MORT!" Kalilina bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. "We've met him and I'm calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it's gone, he can't use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, food always cheers me up."

Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, "That reminds me. I got yeh two a present."

"It's not a sandwhich, is it?" said Harry, anxiously.

"Or food of any kind?" Kalilina urged on. At last, Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.

"Nah, Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. 'Course he shoulda sacked me instead - anyway, got yeh this . . ."

He pulled something out of his one too many pockets and held it out for Harry and Kalilina. There were two handsome, leather-covered books in each of his hands. Kalilina raised an eyebrow at it, but opened it anyway. Inside was a bunch of wizard photos. Smiling, grinning and acting like complete fools on each page was her mother and father. Hey! She even had some wizard baby photos of Harry!

"Sent owls off ter all yeh parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos . . . knew yeh didn't have any . . . d'yeh like it?"

Harry sat there speechless. He couldn't say a thing. Kalilina looked up at Hagrid, and her eyes were swimming with tears. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Hagrid just smiled softly and put a large hand on her hand. She sniffed and gave Hagrid a giant hug. She couldn't have been more greatful.

Harry and Kalilina made their way down to the end-of-year feast together that night. They had been held up by Madam Pomfrey's fussing about, insisting on giving him one last check-up, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colors of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin's winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.

When Harry and Kalilina walked in there was a sudden hush, and then everybody started talking loudly at once. Harry sat between Ron and Hermione while Kalilina sat next to Hermione, trying to ignore the people who starting to stand up to get a glimpse of the pair.

Fortunately, Dumbledore arrived moments later. The babble died down.

"Another year gone!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were . . . you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts. . . ."

"Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding and the points stand thus: In fourth placr, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twleve points; in third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was even banging his goblet on the table.

"Calm the bloody fuck down, Malfoy," Kalilina said loudly. Half the Gryffindor table - who could hear over Slytherin - laughed.

"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore. "However, recent events must be taken into account."

The room went silent. The Slytherins' smiles faded slightly. Kalilina couldn't help herself and broke into loud obnoxious laughter.

"YOUR FACES!" she howled. She then noticed how she was holding everything up and stopped laughing abrubtly. "Sorry, Dumbledore, go on."

"Thank you for your premission to continue, Miss Black," Dumbledore chuckled. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Yes . . .

"First - to Mr Ronald Weasley . . ."

Ron gawked at his three other friends, pointing to himself. "Me?" he mouthed. The other three nodded enthusicastically, pointing to him.

". . . for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award the Gryffindor House fifty points."

Gryffindor broke into a rorar of cheers. Over the cheering, you could hear Percy telling the other Prefects, "My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!"

At last there was silence again.

"Second - to Miss Hermione Granger . . . for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."

Kalilina squealed and grabbed Hermione, hugging her tightly. Hermione hugged Kalilina back, squealing with tears speeding down her face. Gryffindors cheered once more - they were a hundred points up.

"Third - to Mr Harry Potter . . ." said Dumbledore. The room was so quiet, a pin would drop and you could hear it. " . . . for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."

The Gryffindor table stood up and congratulated Harry, while screaming themselves hoarse. Dumbledore's hands raising silenced everyone again.

"I have got two more people to award points to," smiled Dumbledore. "Fourth - to Miss Kalilina Black . . . for strong determintation and over-powering courage. I award Gryffindor House sixty more points."

Kalilina opened her mouth and let out the highest scream she could make. She stood up as many were hugging her and congratulating her.

"You guys better be bloody happy. This is the most points I will probably ever win for you guys!" she shouted. The room eventually quieted down.

"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore, smiling. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

That did it. That was like the icing on the cake. It sounded like a nuclear bomb had just exploded. Kalilina pushed her way through people to get to the white-faced Neville. When she reached him, she gave him a huge hug and a bag fat kiss on the cheek. Over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy looked as though he had recieved knews that he was a Muggle. That made the quartet fall out in laughter.

"Which means," Dumbledore called over the storm of the applause, for even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were celebrating the downfall of Slytherin, " we need a little change over decoration."

He clapped his hands. In an instant, the green hangings became scarlet and the silver became gold; the huge Slytherin serpent vanished and a towering Gryffindor lion took its place. Snape was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand, with a horribly fake smile, that looked painful. He caught Harry and Kalilina's eye and they knew at once Snape's feelings toward them didn't change one jot. This didn't worry them. It seemed as though life would be back to normal next year, well, as normal as it would ever get at Hogwarts.

It was the best evening of Harry and Kalilina's lives, better than winning at Quidditch, or Christmas, or knocking out mountain trolls . . . they would never, ever forget tonight.

* * *

Exam results came the next day. Harry and Ron - to their surprise - passed with good marks. Kalilina was so close to Hermione - two points under her - and screamed it to the whole common room. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark made up for his abymsal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was as thick as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you can't have everything in life. But, he was talking about food at the time. Oh, well. It still fit here.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Neville's toad was found lurking in a corner of the toilets; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holdidays ("I always hope they'll forget these," Fred Weasley said sadly); Hagrid was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans as they sped past Muggle towns; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on the jackets and coats; pulling into platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross station.

It took quite a while for them all to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gates in twos and threes so they didn't attract attention by all bursting out of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

"You must come and stay this summer," said Ron, "all three of you - I'll send you an owl."

"Thanks," said Harry. "We'll need something to look foward to."

People jostled them as they moved foward toward the gateway back to the Muggle world. Some of them called:

"Bye, Harry!"

"Adios, Black!"

"See you, Potter!"

"Stay adorable, Kalilina!"

"Still famous," Ron said grinning at them.

"Ha," snorted Kalilina. "Not where we're going."

Ron and Hermione passed through first and then Kalilina and Harry.

"There they are, Mum, there they are!"

It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at her brother.

"Harry Potter! And Kalilina Black!" she squealed. "Look, Mum! I can see -"

"Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point."

Mrs. Weasley smiled down at them.

"Busy year?" she said.

"Very," said Harry. "Thanks for the fudge and the sweater, Mrs Weasley."

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Weasley, I really love the sweater, my favorite color, too!" grinned Kalilina.

"Oh, it was nothing, dear."

"Ready, are you?"

It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faces, still mustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry and Kalilina, carrying an owl in a cage and an cat carrier in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry and Kalilina.

"You must be Harry and Kalilina's family!" said Mrs Weasley.

"In a manner of speaking," sniffed Uncle Vernon. "Hurry up, boy, girl, we haven't got all day." He walked away.

Harry and Kalilina hung back for a few last words to Ron and Hermione.

"See you over the summer, then."

"Hope you - er - have a good holiday," said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

To Ron and Hermione's surprise, Harry and Kalilina laughed evilly. It was normal for Kalilina - yeah - but for Harry, it was uncommon.

"Oh, we definitely will," smirked Harry.

"_They _don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. We're going to have a _lot _of fun with Dudley this sumer. . . ."

* * *

**And there you go! The last and final chapter of Kalilina's first year. The whole time while writing this chapter, my heart was beating rapidly. I'm glad that I finally got this done and can move on to second year. **

**Now for sappy thank you's: I really am greatful for everyone who has reviewed my story, favorited it, and even added _me _as one of your favorite authors. It touches me greatly to know that people actually like this story. **

**I won't disappoint any one for Kalilina's second year. Oh, and you'll see Kalilina's pranking side really come out. ;) Along with some more Kalico/ Dralilina! Also, another question:**

**Who do you think Kalilina should go out with next year? {Don't say Theodore Nott. ;)}**

**And to everyone who picked out a ship name: Kalico? I actually never thought of that one. I personally like Dralilina. c: But whatever.**

**Thank you for the people who have read this from the beginning. You honestly do not know how much that means to me.**

**Until next time, au reviore, my beautiful readers!**

**- Maraudin'likeaboss. xx**


End file.
